The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 86

After building a base fire with pine needles and twigs in the yard, he added firewood. It was to keep his promise to Yujin that he would feed her grilled pork for dinner.

Eating wild animals was unsettling, but he figured it would be fine if it was cooked thoroughly. With that thought, he waited until the firewood turned completely to charcoal.

He prepared the ribs that Jo Ilheon had given him. There was a green powder that looked like it was made from crushed dried plants and a powder similar to ramen seasoning, which seemed to have been sprinkled to remove any gamey smell. The ribs he had eaten during his social life were short, but these were long, perhaps because they hadn’t been cut. They were arch-shaped, reminiscent of dinosaur bones in a fossil exhibit.

Janggun, whose mushroom high had worn off, also sat quietly next to Yujin, warming himself by the fire.

“Hehehe-, piggy looks yummy.”

Heheheh-.

Yujin and Janggun sat side by side, drooling. Their similar appearance made Jinhyuk burst into laughter. He stroked each of their small heads once and picked up the grill after a long time.

“Wow, there’s a lot of meat.”

“Ooh, it’s a lot. Did the piggy oppa [older brother] beat it up?”

“Yeah, Yujin.”

Yujin kept asking if it was the same pig they had met in the back mountain. There was a hint of determination that she would never forgive it if it were a different pig.

‘It’s damn hot.’

Even with two layers of work gloves, the heat from the charcoal was intense. He switched hands, grilling the meat. As he struggled, Yujin made a whimpering sound from a dark corner.

Is she pooping again? No way, Yujin is not Janggun, there’s no way she’d display her poop in the yard.

“Yujin, what are you doing?”

“Oppa, it’s hot, right? It’s hard. Use a ‘burokko’ [bricks].”

Ah, she meant to put bricks under the grill to raise it since oppa was having a hard time. Was I that smart at that age? Jinhyuk wondered, but he couldn’t remember anything. He quickly ran and got the bricks instead of his sister.

She must have learned the words adults use, so calling bricks ‘burokko’ is understandable, but does ‘it’s hard’ mean ‘it’s damn hard’? Yujin is indeed a magician with words.

It was during Jinhyuk’s vacation when he was exercising.

Jinhyuk, happy that his back pain had improved, put his feet under the sofa and did sit-ups. Next to him, of course, Hong Sujeong, Jinhyuk’s little shadow, was struggling.

-“Hnyanya- Ee-eek-.”

-“Oppa is doing sit-ups, and unnie [older sister] is doing gum-ups, right?”

It was what Yujin said, lifting the lips of the toothless Hong Sujeong, who was clenching her gums. The whole family had laughed so hard.

Jinhyuk sprinkled some sea salt on the well-grilled ribs.

Tada-da-da-dak-.

“Kyahaha-!”

Yujin clapped and laughed, fascinated by the sound. Watching his happy sister, his heart warmed. At the same time, he didn’t let his guard down, thinking about Moon Seokil and his group.

‘What should I do with those people?’

He had told them to investigate as quickly as possible and call him. As soon as they found out who was behind it, they would contact him, and the ‘land grabbers’ who were the security team would be helpful for a while, but he would have to live with anxiety until he came up with a plan.

‘I’ll have to tell Dad and Hong Gijun ajusshi [a respectful term for an older man] too.’

He didn’t know what Hong Gijun thought of him, but it was a relief for Jinhyuk to have a powerful person to rely on. He was already a prominent businessman in Korea, and since he was a friend who cared deeply for his father, he would be of help.

It’s so hard to live quietly and normally.

“Oppa, it’s on fire.”

“Huh?”

While he was deep in thought, the ribs caught fire and one turned black. Jinhyuk blew on the ribs to put out the fire and scraped off the burnt part on a brick. He tossed it to Janggun without hesitation.

He’ll eat it when it cools down.

Hehet- Kkyaeng!

“Eat it when it cools down, you rascal.”

Janggun, who had rubbed his snout on the ground as if he had been burned, quickly went to drink water like someone in a hurry to use the bathroom.

Jinhyuk and Yujin laughed at the sight. It had been a tiring day, but the happy time spent with his sister diluted his worries.

“Ooh-, it’s yummy-”

Watching Yujin, who was still grabbing and tearing at the ribs with her own hands despite the heat, Jinhyuk thought about happiness again. Happiness, it wasn’t a big deal. He did have a cheat code, with his dad being the richest man in the region and his dad’s best friend being the most famous businessman in the country. But the sight of the life next to him being happy was the best reward.

‘If it weren’t for the troublemakers, I could have lived like this. It’s all ruined.’

He took a bite of the grilled ribs.

Jo Ilheon, the know-it-all, had said he was amazing at getting rid of the gamey smell, and it was true. It was a little tough because there wasn’t enough time to marinate, but it didn’t smell gamey and tasted good. An indescribable feast of smoky flavor and juices spread in his mouth, bringing back faint nostalgia.

‘I want some soju [Korean distilled spirit] and beer.’

A drink that was smoother and more exhilarating than beer but not allowed for minors. But drinking it secretly would be amazing. It was a nostalgia for an experience that was in the past and would be in the future.

Slurp. He smacked his lips, thinking of the days when he used to drink alone without worrying about anyone.

It had been a long day.

He had fought with a wild boar, and then had a war of nerves with humans… Moon Seokil and his group probably thought differently, but anyway.

A warm breeze blew from the distant sea, as if embracing the siblings squatting in the yard.

The salty wind teased Jinhyuk’s tear ducts. Just thinking about that day still made his heart ache and pound.

‘I miss Mom and Dad.’

Yujin, without any worries, was tearing at the ribs, making slurping sounds.

Then she stared at her brother, looking like she had something to say.

“Yujin, why? Do you have something to say to oppa?”

“Hee-”

Yujin, with juice smeared around her mouth, showed her ugly smile for the first time in a while. It was something she did when she was in a good mood, but it was also a smile she showed when she had something difficult to say.

“…There’s no soy sauce in the fridge, right?”

Ah, Yujin.

Her eyes and tone of voice seemed like she would cry if he said no, but her face looked sad, as if she knew there wasn’t any.

“There isn’t any right now. Oppa will buy you some next time.”

“Yes, hehehe-”

Jinhyuk was inwardly puzzled.

He felt like he had promised Yujin to give her cola sometime. He didn’t remember making such a promise.

Anyway, it was a relief that his sister wasn’t upset. It was time for her to sleep, and she could have been fussy, but Yujin never whined. Except when she wanted to eat meat.

Now, after brushing Yujin’s teeth and putting her to bed, the eventful day would be over.

‘No, not yet. There’s still something left to do.’

Jinhyuk stared blankly at his feet.

The shadow, cast darkly by the bright moonlight of the Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving] holiday, was rippling, even receiving the light from the charcoal fire.

‘You… who are you?’

He had been confused for a while as he entered puberty, but he had grown both physically and mentally as he went through growing pains. It was a natural suspicion of someone who had analyzed and synthesized various pieces of evidence, not just a simple guess.

Even if he called himself dull, even if he was oblivious, Jinhyuk wasn’t stupid. It would be foolish not to know when the gazes he received head-on were all looking above his head, not at his eyes. Especially in serious situations.

Jinhyuk knew how to confirm it.

*

There are many things in the world that you can understand with your head but not accept with your heart. Or vice versa. And how many things are there that you can’t believe even after seeing them with your own eyes?

Late at night, when Yujin was asleep, Jinhyuk went to the rooftop. Janggun, the guard dog who was gnawing on pig bones in his doghouse, was also called out in the middle of the night.

The result was a bust.

Even after he had driven out all the impurities from his mind and body through meditation, Janggun didn’t growl. He just sat at Jinhyuk’s feet, wagging his tail. The guy who barked even at the full moon was quiet, so there was nothing else he could do.

“Janggun, is there nothing there?”

Heheheh-. He just stared at him without tilting his head, and Jinhyuk didn’t know what he was saying.

He wondered if he should try a different method, so Jinhyuk tried to have a conversation.

Staring intently at the shadow at his feet.

“Come out.”

Even when he called.

“Twentieth century.”

Even when he cursed.

“Are you an IQ of two digits?”

Even when he made personal attacks, the being Jinhyuk suspected didn’t appear.

He was about to say, ‘You only look like my dad in the toes?’ but decided not to, thinking that a family insult was not appropriate. Because they might harm his family.

He had felt their unusual gazes on the day Choi Mikyung’s grandmother passed away, and on the day Cheon Gilyong grandfather came to visit.

The decisive moment was when he encountered Moon Seokil’s sudden change in attitude. Even if his pupils had shaken, there was no reason why he couldn’t properly receive the other person’s gaze. Clearly, Moon Seokil’s gaze was looking at something behind Jinhyuk, not at Jinhyuk himself.

“Hmm. I’m not confused right now.”

It meant that his suspicion wasn’t unfounded. It wasn’t a teenage wandering or delusion.

But he couldn’t just wait around. He had to protect his sleeping sister.

It meant that the time he had set for himself wasn’t long. Since there was no one to talk to or confide in, he had no choice but to do his best alone.

“If you don’t come out, I’m not going to eat? I might jump from the third floor. Will you come out if I call a shaman and do a ritual? Should I eat ten heads of raw garlic every day? Should I eat with a silver spoon? I might even hold my breath for five minutes.”

Despite using all sorts of baseless exorcism knowledge and threatening without taking a breath, the shadow remained silent.

“I’ll show you the video in the living room.”

Ah, he shouldn’t have said that.

After using a conciliatory tactic, Jinhyuk only felt his heart become more unsettled.

“Aren’t you going to come out? Are you a voyeur?”

Janggun tilted his head, watching Jinhyuk mutter, but he didn’t care and glared at the shadow. It was because he had a personality that he would dig into any matter he suspected until the end.

“I know you’re there. Were you with me in my past life? Is that why I came back? Do you know Hong Gijun ajusshi’s identity too?”

He tried his best, but all he could see was the shadow created by the moonlight, and all he could hear was the sound of early crickets. There were no moving objects around him.

Mutter mutter-.

Until the full moon tilted to the west, until he started to yawn, Jinhyuk wandered around the rooftop.

Unable to overcome the silence of talking alone, Jinhyuk finally surrendered.

“I don’t know why you’re sticking to me, but don’t harm people. You don’t have to help me forcefully. They say that you have to live among people to be human, but humans also have to be able to stand on their own two feet.”

With those words, Jinhyuk glanced at the shadow with his eyes slightly open.

He thought that if threats and conciliation didn’t work, maybe he could move them with emotion and they would confess.

But the unresponsive shadow only added to his embarrassment.

“Hmm. Did I overdo it again?”

Maybe he had misunderstood.

He scratched the back of his head and turned to go down to the first floor. His steps were heavy as he walked, but he soon shrugged his shoulders. If not, then so be it.

Heheheh-.

Janggun didn’t follow and was watching the full moon with his tongue out. It was a sight he could see more than twice a month, so it wasn’t anything new.

Carefully opening the front door so as not to wake his sister, he entered the house.

“Hic-”

Yujin had crawled to the front door and was sleeping in a frog position.

He had clearly laid her down on the bed in the bedroom, so how did she get here? Usually, she would climb the stairs to the second floor and sleep in front of her brother’s room, but no one could offer a plausible theory.

She was a strange one.

***

The rest of the holidays passed peacefully without meeting any wild boars or encountering any weaker thugs than wild boars.

He woke up early in the morning, washed his sister, and dressed her in a colorful traditional Korean outfit.

She wouldn’t fit into it when she got older, so he was just putting it on her while he could. They say there’s a time for everything, and wearing a colorful traditional outfit must be one of them.

“Oh my, how pretty our baby is.”

Holding his sister’s hand, he carried the box of pears that his father had bought on his shoulder and headed to Choi Mikyung’s youth center. It was because he had received a call from Choi Mikyung to come for breakfast, and besides Choi Janghwan’s family, Cheon Gilyong was also at the house.

Kim Sunbok placed a steaming pot of braised short ribs on the table. He was a little nervous that it might be wild boar, but looking at the shape, it was beef, not pork.

“Jinhyuk and Yujin, eat a lot too-”

“Thank you for the food.”

“Yes-, hehehe.”

Cheon Gilyong’s eyes widened.

“Oh, so you’re Jinhyuk?”

“Yes.”

Watching Cheon Gilyong’s childlike eyes, as if he had discovered something, Jinhyuk was inwardly expectant.

But Cheon Gilyong just smiled happily, thinking about the wild boar he had eaten deliciously last night.

“Ahem. I am Cheon Ga Gilyong.”

“Yes…”

Well, it was normal to introduce yourself at the Chuseok dinner table.

Even though he already knew the name, Jinhyuk bowed politely.

Contrary to Jinhyuk’s expectations, Cheon Gilyong didn’t show any reaction at all. He was just focused on eating rice with beef radish soup and kimchi.

‘There’s definitely something there. Can’t even the grandfather see it? I have to find out somehow, even if it’s just by myself…’

While thinking that there were some things that couldn’t be helped, he vowed to find out someday.

He had decided to check everything thoroughly from now on.

“Yum yum-, it’s delicious-”

Yujin was being fed by Choi Mikyung.

Jinhyuk, who was hungry from Cheon Gilyong’s eating, also took a large spoonful of white rice and stuffed it into his mouth.

Rice was the best after all.

“Jinhyuk, are we going to Seonnyeo Rock again today?”

“Uung-”

He couldn’t do anything about his hamster-like cheeks and just nodded his head.

Why does Mikyung ask questions while eating? She should wipe the rice off my cheek.