The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 61

The children’s voices drifted from inside the house.

‘Tte tte tte- Atim badam tan badame- Ugo ganeun jeo gideogi-.’ [This is a Korean children’s song, similar to ‘Pat-a-cake’]

‘Ehehe-.’

It was the sound of Hong Sujeong playing patty-cake with Yujin. Every time she made a lisping sound, she confidently sang the ‘Sse sse sse’ song, oblivious to the fathers who were trying to suppress their laughter.

Jinhyuk bit his lip to keep from laughing, but he couldn’t stop his nostrils from flaring.

*Cough-!*

‘That was close.’

*Whew-.*

As soon as he stepped outside, he released the laughter he had been holding back with a long breath.

Jinhyuk served the watermelon punch, a hangover cure for the fathers, on the porch. It was watermelon soaked in honey, with honey water poured over it and pine nuts sprinkled on top—a snack that Hong Gijun particularly loved. He often complained that he could never get such a treat from Yuseora.

Anyway.

The bet, which had been high stakes but without any real tension, ended anticlimactically with Jinhyuk’s victory.

‘Gwoooah-, that hits the spot!’

Hong Gijun, who had gulped down the watermelon punch on the porch, looked at Jinhyuk with bloodshot eyes.

‘If you leave it to me, I’ll make it grow.’

‘If Dad allows it.’

‘What’s there to allow? It’s your money now, so Jinhyuk decides.’

How much wealth did his dad have to give his middle school son the authority to decide on a huge sum of 30 million won? [Approximately $25,000 USD]

After all, Jinhyuk had only put in one million won.

It seemed like his dad was the one who had spent nearly 20 million won.

This was unfair.

‘I didn’t bet much either-.’

‘I’ll add another ten million won.’

‘Great. Then leave Jinhyuk’s allowance as it is.’

Oh my.

He had ended up extorting 20 million won each from the two fathers.

To readily give a middle schooler enough money to buy two luxury sedans—could this even happen in a normal world?

He couldn’t understand the rich at all.

In the end, was the bet just an excuse to give Jinhyuk money?

There shouldn’t be any justification for that?

‘Dad is grateful.’

‘Me too.’

Jinhyuk, not knowing what they were grateful for, mumbled and eventually agreed. It was easier to think that the rich men were just doing it for fun, and more than anything, he wasn’t interested in the money.

‘How are you going to grow it?’

He asked directly out of curiosity.

Surely they weren’t going to buy shares in Sein Electronics or Daejeong Electronics. [Fictional Korean electronics companies]

Buying in 2005 and selling in 2020 would be the best, but ah, this time Jinhyuk wasn’t in the group, so would the stock price change?

‘Leave it to me. This is a secret even for me.’

Hong Gijun winked.

Why did men have to wink? Especially when they couldn’t even do it properly.

It looked like his eyelid was twitching like someone with a magnesium deficiency.

Anyway, they said they would grow it with their own money, and Jinhyuk didn’t feel like asserting his rights, so he just nodded.

‘Jinhyuk, but what kind of tree is that?’

Hong Gijun pointed to a tree between the yard and the field, a small tree that still provided decent shade. Under it, Janggun was coiled up like a snake.

‘It’s an oak tree.’

‘Isn’t it a bit out of place?’

‘Yeah,’ Jinhyuk muttered.

It had been there for over two years, but he had just let it be. Wasn’t that what nature was about?

Unlike a typical oak tree, its trunk was thick and short, but its leaves were incredibly wide. Perhaps because it grew in nutrient-rich soil, the leaves were a dark, murky green.

‘Why is it there…’

‘Did it get washed away during the monsoon?’

It seemed that the urge to explore pointless questions was a unique trait of men, regardless of age. Except for Jinhyuk.

The two fathers began to come up with hypotheses as if competing with each other.

‘Maybe aliens planted it?’

‘Maybe the acorn grew legs?’

When the alien planting theory and the acorn bipedalism theory came out, Jinhyuk just let it be.

Even Jinhyuk thought the alien theory was plausible.

‘Maybe acorns just appear out of thin air? Like a combination of elements.’

‘Maybe our Janggun carried it and planted it. That guy is amazing at digging with his snout.’

When the two men advocated for the spontaneous generation of acorns and Janggun being a farming dog, Jinhyuk just looked up at the sky.

‘Please, let it rain.’

Then, a savior appeared.

‘Jinhyuk, what are you doing outside before breakfast? Oh my, the Seoul boss is here.’

‘Hahaha. How have you been, Mr. Choi?’

Hong Gijun looked at Choi Janghwan and his companion with a meaningful gaze.

It was a Jindo dog, a yellowish-brown one. [A breed of Korean hunting dog]

*Grrr-.*

Janggun bared his sharp teeth and let out a low warning.

‘Janggun doesn’t have any popularity, so I came to pair him with our Hwanggu. The smell is making our Hwanggu go crazy.’

Choi Janghwan gave a good-natured smile.

Most residents brought in companion dogs that they had a connection with, but most of the dogs tied up in the yard for security purposes were large breeds. If not large, they preferred medium-sized dogs or larger. Choi Mikyung’s Jindo dog Hwanggu was like that, as was Lee Jaeyoung’s Tosa dog Dokku, and Yuk Sungchan’s strange mixed-breed dog Merry. It was hard to mention them all, but guard dogs were mostly large breeds.

Well, that was common knowledge.

Janggun was a typical Balbari with big ears and long fur. [A common Korean mixed-breed dog] Not many people wanted puppies from such a Balbari, so no neighbors tried to pair him up on purpose. That’s why the village Balbaris had free love without being tied up.

But Choi Janghwan was mistaken about something.

‘There are a lot of guys hitting on Janggun.’

It wasn’t because Janggun was a Balbari or unpopular that he couldn’t have puppies. Village Balbaris, stray dogs, and even large dogs that had slipped their leashes would bother Janggun, only to run away bleeding. Jinhyuk, who was always with Janggun, knew this well.

Jinhyuk snorted inwardly and examined the yellowish-brown dog.

Clumps of fur were missing from its tail, neck, and ears. There were also clear bite marks. Even though it was a brave and agile Jindo dog. According to his keen eye, it was definitely Janggun’s doing.

Besides the food Jinhyuk gave him, Janggun roamed around the neighborhood, stealing other dogs’ food. Not stealing, but intimidating and beating up the owners to take it by force. What started as fighting to win had turned into tribute. When Janggun appeared, the dogs would slowly back away. That’s how Janggun had conquered Dunaeri. [The name of the village]

It was amazing how accurate veterinarian Park Buro’s assessment that he could be mistaken for a lion was.

The wounds on the yellowish-brown dog’s body were probably related to dog food.

Since he lived closest, the yellowish-brown dog was probably the one who received the most visits from Janggun. He could picture the scene of the dog getting scolded for trying to hit on Janggun, who was stealing his food.

‘Janggun is the boss dog. A queen.’

Because Jinhyuk liked small and pretty things, he had secretly hoped for puppies. But Janggun seemed more attached to playing with Jinhyuk than dating. So, Jinhyuk wanted Janggun to live as he pleased, freely, since he had given up on puppies.

*Whimper-.*

Jinhyuk secretly hoped that Janggun would stand up for his pride. Because he was the boss.

However, Janggun, who had been baring his teeth at the yellowish-brown dog, tucked his tail and backed away when Choi Janghwan approached.

‘The village dogs are afraid of Mr. Choi.’

According to Jo Ilheon, the smell of blood coming from Choi Janghwan was the reason. He always volunteered to butcher chickens, pigs, and cows at village festivals, so the smell had become ingrained in him. Whether it was true or not, even the brave Janggun lowered his tail, so he couldn’t help but believe it.

Jinhyuk went into his house and felt a pang of heartache as he watched Janggun whimpering. He wished he would bark and fight, but this was the first time he had seen him so weak.

Janggun looked at Son Gwangyeon and Jinhyuk with big, pleading eyes, as if asking for help.

Just as Jinhyuk was about to step in,

‘Hyungnim, I’ll put it on him.’ [Hyungnim is a Korean term used by men to address an older male friend or brother]

Son Gwangyeon took the leash from Choi Janghwan.

He smiled at his son, as if he had something in mind.

‘Our Janggun is a good boy, right? Come here. *Tsk tsk tsk-*.’

Even though he was the owner, Janggun looked around pitifully and came out of the house. He accepted the collar without resistance. Even at that moment, he seemed to be pleading with Jinhyuk.

‘He would have run away at any other time.’

Janggun was a dog who lived without a collar.

His daily routine was to follow his owner and sleep under the oak tree when he was full. He could have run away if he wanted to. But when Choi Janghwan brought the yellowish-brown dog, Janggun didn’t run away.

‘It must be because we were here.’

There were things that could be understood without words. When you spent a long time together, you could read each other’s minds by observing small actions. Jinhyuk had a vague idea of what Janggun was thinking. He either believed that his owner would protect him, or conversely, he was trying to protect his owner from the yellowish-brown dog.

Choi Janghwan hammered a metal stake in front of Janggun’s house and attached two leashes.

Choi Janghwan, who had set up the bridal chamber, waved his arm towards the entrance.

‘Ahem-, kids, go inside.’

Hong Sujeong and Yujin, who were curious about the commotion outside, were peeking out.

***

‘Oh my, how embarrassing. That man is just watching from over there?’

Yuseora grumbled, looking at Hong Gijun, who was standing outside with his arms crossed. Still, she didn’t say anything about what the man was doing, since he was her husband. She figured that since he had always been busy with work, she wouldn’t nag him even when he came to rest.

‘Jinhyuk’s mom, do you think Janggun will be okay?’

‘Heh-.’

Han Yuyoung, who was cutting a Korean melon, let out air through her teeth. [A type of sweet melon popular in Korea]

It was a laugh that clearly implied she found it ridiculous.

‘Janggun must be five or six years old already.’

‘I thought he was a baby because he’s so cute. Come to think of it, it’s been four years since I first saw him.’

She had come to meet the landowner and ended up forming a bond with this family. Time really flew by. Son Jinhyuk, who was a ten-year-old boy back then, had grown taller than her husband, and her five-year-old daughter, who she had worried about because she was slow to learn to speak, was already in school.

Han Yuyoung picked up a well-cut piece of Korean melon with a fork and handed it to Yuseora.

‘At Janggun’s age, he should have had several puppies already.’

‘Is he perhaps infertile?’

Yuseora, who had taken a bite of the Korean melon, muttered with a sullen face.

Since she had a hard time having her daughter, she empathized with Janggun, thinking that he might be in a similar situation.

‘I don’t know about that, but other dogs are too scared to approach him.’

Han Yuyoung’s expression was that of a victorious general. She had a face that could easily be seen as arrogant.

How scary could that little guy be to make them so afraid? Yuseora couldn’t understand.

That’s when it happened.

*Kkeogeong- Kkeong-!*

As if mocking Yuseora’s expectations, a loud scream was heard from outside.

***

Jinhyuk could understand the reason why his dad was acting so relaxed.

Janggun, who had hidden inside the doghouse because he was scared of Choi Janghwan, bit the yellowish-brown dog’s nose when it sniffed around the house.

Son Gwangyeon also knew about Janggun’s extraordinary nature.

‘Oh my, the yellowish-brown dog must be in pain.’

He must have followed his owner because he was told to.

*Arrr-! Woof!*

Janggun didn’t stop there and bit the yellowish-brown dog’s tail firmly as it turned around.

*Yelp-!*

Jinhyuk rubbed his forehead. He was glad that Janggun didn’t give in and stood up for his pride, but he also felt sorry for his closest neighbor.

‘Still, our Janggun is the best.’

As his name suggested, Janggun was brave and had a strong sense of pride. [Janggun means ‘General’ in Korean]

Hong Gijun, who had been pondering something with narrowed eyes, stroked his chin.

‘Maybe these guys are just embarrassed because there are so many eyes watching?’

Ah, that icy uncle was no help. It was time for Janggun to be freed. Still, he thought it wasn’t wrong. Janggun was a dog with a sense of awareness. Maybe he had his own intentions, but he was acting out because of shame.

‘Then let’s leave them here and see what happens tomorrow when I come to pick them up-.’

The male puppy is for the male owner. Choi Janghwan, claiming the puppies that weren’t even born yet, walked away.

‘Okay, yellowish-brown dog, do your best.’

Jinhyuk went inside, cheering for the yellowish-brown dog.

He didn’t know who he was cheering for, but he wanted to see the puppies.

***

In the yard and in the living room, the sunset cast an orange blanket.

Jinhyuk was worried about Janggun, so he paced around the living room window.

The yellowish-brown dog was sitting in the direction of Choi Mikyung’s house, as if resentful of his owner who had left him alone.

‘Why does the back of that dog look so lonely?’

Janggun had gone inside the house and hadn’t shown his face. Fortunately, there was no bloodshed, but it was a completely awkward atmosphere.

‘I don’t understand Janggun’s feelings.’

He wondered why he was acting like that over something so simple.

His pleading eyes, as if sending a request for help, were still vivid.

Maybe Janggun preferred to hang out with Jinhyuk and Yujin and was avoiding his dog friends. That’s why he was so admirable and endearing in many ways.

‘I taught him wrong. I’ve been making him run around every day, so Janggun has no interest in dating.’

It’s my fault.

From tomorrow, I should read the book ‘The Art of Love’ in the study on the third floor.

Well, Jinhyuk didn’t know anything either, so he thought it would be good to at least give him some theory.