The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 47

“Our class president, Jinhyuk, received perfect scores in all subjects on the first semester’s midterm exam. Let’s all give him a round of applause!” clap, clap, clap-. A familiar, all-too-familiar situation. While inwardly taking it in stride, Jinhyuk didn’t want to appear arrogant, so he stood up from his seat and bowed his head to the teacher and his classmates in response. His face remained expressionless. Perhaps his appearance was intimidating, as the teacher and his classmates flinched slightly. Chae Gyuho secured the seat next to Jinhyuk. It was a different situation from the beginning of the semester when he was pushed by the other guys and forced to be his partner. “Class president, can you explain what this means?” He was quite ambitious when it came to studying, but he said that Jinhyuk’s tutoring was easier to grasp than the actual class. Jinhyuk gladly helped his friends with their studies. Since he was already tutoring Shin Woosung and Lee Seunghoon, all he had to do was add one more desk. Jinhyuk lived an ordinary life, no different from any other middle school student in the countryside. ‘My legs, my legs are numb.’ During breaks, he would take walks or have contests with his friends to see who could do the most pull-ups. During lunch, he played soccer. Exercise was the best, after all. ‘Is it because of hormones? My body is itching.’ He also glanced at the racy magazines that other kids brought, and he was particularly drawn to a magazine brought by a friend who had a cousin living in Japan. “Class president, take this.” Perhaps Jinhyuk’s gaze was too intense, as his friend cut out a page with vivid color prints on coated paper and handed it to him. It was a bribe to become friends. “I’m okay.” He refused, taking one last look at the model’s alluring pose. It was a truly difficult decision. Jinhyuk’s eyes followed the receding photo. ‘I keep thinking about it.’ Since Jinhyuk’s house was far from school, he didn’t attend the math and English academies that most of his other friends went to. He hadn’t even been near an academy in his previous life, but he didn’t really need one anyway. He was good at studying from the start, so the teacher didn’t force him to attend night self-study. Come to think of it, it was funny and strange. It’s called self-study, right? It’s self-study, but they check attendance and scold you if you’re late or run away. It was a strange world. Well, not that he had any intention of arguing about it. ‘As long as I don’t get scolded, it’s fine.’ And so, Jinhyuk seemed to be slowly adapting to the world. He worked even harder than before to help Shin Woosung and Lee Seunghoon with their studies. The guys were initially intimidated by Jinhyuk, who was scarier than the wrestling team captain, but they quickly adapted, being the good guys they were. They focused intently, out of fear, and seemed to be getting better grades than Jinhyuk remembered from the past. Shin Woosung blinked his sleepy eyes and mumbled. “Class president, we have to go to training.” “Okay. Be careful not to get hurt.” Because of the competition period, Shin Woosung and Lee Seunghoon became busy. So, he couldn’t spend much time with his old friends. It was a shame, but there was nothing Jinhyuk could do about it. Well, they weren’t the type to be together all day in the past either. They became friends because they understood each other and had a complementary relationship, even if they didn’t see each other often. ‘It’s peaceful.’ The new routine felt like a gift or a reward. 【You’ve worked hard. I’ll send you back…】 Blah blah blah. It must have been the effect of the voice that seemed to be speaking directly into his eardrums. Even though he heard it in a dream, his skull seemed to vibrate every time he recalled the voice. ‘Whatever.’ Let it flow peacefully and quietly like this. However, history, once touched by someone, begins to deviate little by little in unexpected places, and Jinhyuk was not entirely at ease because he was aware of that possibility. Even if he was prepared, dealing with it would be a different matter. *** It was on his way to the classroom after morning exercise. ‘Oh, sh*t…’ Jinhyuk quickly hid behind the building and took a deep breath. It was because he had spotted Hwang Gayoung on her way to school. Jinhyuk had to calm his startled heart for a moment. The brand seared into his soul was not easily erased. ‘Oh my, that scared me. Is that family out of the picture now?’ Since the future had changed, would he not meet them? You could ask if he was being pathetic by clinging to the past, but it was an important issue for Jinhyuk. People who were PTSD itself. In his past life, he had given them a good send-off, but when you think about it, it wasn’t something Jinhyuk had intended. … During his university days, Jinhyuk, who had passed the bar exam, did not attend the interview. His uncle, who had borrowed money from various places using Jinhyuk’s bar exam success as collateral, was stabbed to death by a debt collector, and his aunt and sisters disappeared. In his own opinion, Jinhyuk had a serious disqualification for the bar exam interview. Guilt by association. It was a system that had been abolished, but he couldn’t be sure it was completely gone. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the country, but the mental anguish Jinhyuk had suffered was that great. His aunt always had the word ‘communist’ on her lips. She called Jinhyuk a communist’s son, and the secret story she told was this: Kim Eungnyeo, who was said to be his mother’s half-sister, had a different surname, as you know. They were not only half-siblings but also had different fathers. Jinhyuk’s maternal grandfather, Han Ho, was a local notable who couldn’t have children with his first wife, so he took a woman with a daughter as his second wife. It was something that could only be explained by the desire of old people to have a son. ‘It was said that such things were common in the old days, so I can’t blame them for that.’ However, the second wife did not conceive, and instead, the first wife, Jinhyuk’s maternal grandmother, gave birth to Jinhyuk’s mother, Han Yooyoung. The maternal grandfather cherished his daughter from his first wife, even though she wasn’t a son, and had her educated up to high school. Then, one day, men in suits and police officers stormed into the quiet house, taking the maternal grandfather away and publicly calling him a suspect in a major case. That was when Jinhyuk’s mother was eighteen years old. That was all Jinhyuk had heard from Kim Eungnyeo in his past life. That’s why Kim Eungnyeo called Jinhyuk a communist’s son without hesitation. What era was it that she called a descendant two generations removed a communist? ‘There’s no cure for ignorance.’ He might have passed, but how could things always go as planned? The interviewers were also human, and they might have dropped him due to the unspoken guilt by association, and in fact, Jinhyuk didn’t want to become a public official. He had simply used his talent in the most realistic way to stand on his own two feet. ‘The aptitude test results came out as a prosecutor or judge…’ It was a very simple reason. In a way, it was thanks to giving up the interview that he met Hong Gijun in the past, and it might be that he came to the past while being in his car. So, could it be said that it was a good choice in the end? The flow of consciousness was so scary that seeing Hwang Gayoung made him think of the Kim Eungnyeo family and even deduce the cause and effect of how he came to the past, which was kind of funny. But there was some gain. ‘Maybe I won’t have to see them again.’ For Jinhyuk, who still shuddered at the thought of that time, it was a hopeful hope. He thought that as long as he didn’t go to the tea room on purpose, he wouldn’t have to see those people. *** It was good that he didn’t have to see Kim Eungnyeo, but strange people were loitering around the school. “Oh, I’m telling you, just let me see that student once!” “Let’s just do a throwing test once!” The network of Korean society. School ties, regional ties, family ties, etc. The harm caused by them was not small, making the word repulsive to those who heard it, but it was a useful tool for those who had connections. There was a rush of academy sports officials who had connections with the game record committee and the athletics federation. “Why are you blocking school visits in a democratic country!” “I’m also from this school!” “I-I’m a 70th graduate of this place!” Apart from their way of speaking, TaeYang Middle School had only been around for a little over 40 years since it was founded during the Korean War. They were disguised as visits for player selection and scouting for promising players, but their real purpose was to get to know the holder of the Korean record for the 100m and 200m in the elementary division. They were people who had come to the school because the player’s parents were putting up a wall of defense. Thanks to them, the security guards had no peace. It was so bad that they said they should put a tank in the playground. Eventually, Lee Byungse brought it up at a faculty meeting. “Principal, instead of that, why don’t you try to persuade the student…” “Mr. Lee. The student has clearly stated that he doesn’t want to, and instead of thinking about protecting the student as a teacher, what are you talking about?” Lee Byungse tilted his head. He wasn’t usually this kind of principal, but strangely, he was thinking about student rights. ‘I heard they did some kind of major human rights investigation recently, is that why he’s like this?’ Academy sports officials were being investigated on a large scale, and some were even arrested. It was happening simultaneously all over the country, and it was said that they were leaders who had received kickbacks or were violent. ‘The wrestling coach and coach also got the axe at that time.’ Many teachers, who were general physical education teachers rather than specialized educators, breathed a sigh of relief, and Lee Byungse was one of them. “Still, if they keep coming like this, it will interfere with the learning atmosphere…” Learning atmosphere, my foot. In fact, Lee Byungse was also curious. I want to see him do the test too! He couldn’t say that. Lee Byungse was racking his brain to find the next words when the principal’s sharp voice flew in. “Mr. Lee, about your running the track and field team. The cost, the cost of purchasing supplies, uniforms, meals, snacks. Do you know how much money that costs?” “Ah…, yes.” Lee Byungse’s neck shrank at the mention of money. TaeYang Middle School was a public middle school in the countryside. It wasn’t like a private school with a strong foundation, nor was it like schools in cities with large populations and many wealthy people where parents were enthusiastic supporters. The reality was that it was difficult to maintain even one sports team, even if they squeezed the school’s finances. The wrestling team had history and tradition, so it was run with money donated by seniors, but it was only natural that a separate budget was needed to run the track and field team, which included sprints and marathons. The money issue was Lee Byungse’s Achilles’ heel, as he had no record of winning any awards. “Head of the administrative office, please explain it to Mr. Lee.” “Yes.” Why are you suddenly passing the mic to the head of the administrative office? Lee Byungse, with a wronged expression, glanced back and forth between the principal and the head of the administrative office. “The finances needed to run the track and field team are being sponsored by Son Jinhyuk’s parents. I was surprised when they contacted us about sponsorship even though the student is not an official member. When I asked, they said they were also sponsoring TaeYang Elementary School through Mr. Kim Youngtae. Their son went to a different school in the countryside.” Lee Byungse’s mouth dropped open. The wrestling coach had the same reaction. The parents of the kid who was the first to come to school on his bike and exercise were such wealthy people. He thought he was delivering evening newspapers because he had to go home to his younger siblings, and he would pedal his bike as soon as school was over. The principal narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lee Byungse. “I don’t know if the rumors are true, but it’s said that that family owns more than ten percent of the land in TaeYang County. Make sure you don’t do anything to offend such people. It’s a family that even the county governor goes to see every season. I heard that the candidates lined up to visit them during last year’s local elections, too?” “Yes. I heard that too. The event vehicles and snack trucks at the sports festival were all sponsored by Jinhyuk’s father.” The head of the administrative office added. “And it must never get into Jinhyuk’s ears. They said that the sponsorship would end the moment their son found out.” What did this mean? Wouldn’t it mean that if the father’s sponsorship was interpreted as pressure to exercise, the son would feel burdened? “I will keep that in mind.” It was a message that even the clueless Lee Byungse could quickly understand. Don’t put pressure on my son. It was a warning from a local notable. Gulp-. Lee Byungse could only swallow hard. Along with the determination to be at the forefront of chasing away all the outsiders invading the school. The head of the administrative office said to Sung Buhyun. “They are also sponsoring the wrestling team’s operating expenses. The student’s father also provided the funds for the construction of the training facility. This is also a secret.” “Yes, sir!” Wrestling coach Sung Buhyun also pledged. The head of the administrative office didn’t seem to be finished. “They have also sponsored a significant portion of the teachers’ dinner expenses and school trip expenses.” The other teachers also sat up straight. Money is the best, after all. But was Son Jinhyuk a late child? Usually, the wealthy in the countryside were old, weren’t they? Maybe he was a late child, and his parents were doing everything for him because they loved him? Lee Byungse carefully closed his notebook, thinking that Jinhyuk’s father must be an old man with white hair. *** Son Gwangyeon, who was brushing Janggun’s fur at the wrestling ring, scratched his ear nervously. He was squinting one eye. “Aish, it’s itchy-. Did a dog flea get in?” “Hehehe-, Daddy ate a dog flea?” He giggled. Yoojin, who was poking the sandpit with a trowel, pointed at her dad and was delighted. Han Yooyoung came out with a tray of coffee. “Honey, the school contacted us saying they want to give you a plaque of appreciation.” “Hooey, a plaque of appreciation, what for?” We didn’t spend a penny of our money. Son Gwangyeon swallowed the rest of his words. In front of his wife, he was always a dignified man from Seoul. The only thing Son Gwangyeon had done was to extort money from his friend to be generous to his son. It was a secret of a real man that he could never reveal to his wife. He had also firmly told Hong Gijun to keep his mouth shut. ‘That guy, if he was going to send cheerleaders, he should have given me a heads up.’ Jinhyuk must have seen it himself. Lucky him. He must have been happy.