The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 89

Sun Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young, having just returned from their trip, immediately went on a tour of the neighborhood.

When they first heard that Jinhyuk was attending school with Yujin, they were surprised, but they trusted that their son would take good care of her. So, they comfortably visited their neighbors to deliver gifts.

“Did you have a safe trip?”

“Hahaha! Thanks to you, elder.”

Sun Kwang-yeon, who visited Chun Gil-ryong first, gave a hearty laugh.

He gifted Chun Gil-ryong with chocolates, a lei [a Hawaiian flower necklace], and a Hawaiian shirt. The shirt had a white background with green and orange flower patterns, and it was an outfit that Han Yu-young had personally chosen.

“Oh ho ho-, this seems a bit too big…”

Chun Gil-ryong, holding his pipe, spun around like a model, beaming.

The flashy shirt surprisingly matched his traditional Korean pants, making Sun Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young very pleased.

“They say it’s supposed to be worn loose. Wear it when you go for a stroll around the neighborhood.”

“Oh ho ho-, this is something. Thank you for caring about an old man like me.”

“Please come visit us often, elder.”

“Thank you. I was planning to anyway. Wife, let’s talk for a moment.”

At Chun Gil-ryong’s suggestion for a conversation, Sun Kwang-yeon discreetly looked around the scenery and moved towards the bamboo forest. It wasn’t quite like Hawaii, but the view from the high ground was quite excellent.

“A steadfast mother should trust her child first, not listen to rumors.”

“Yes, thank you.”

‘Did our son cause some trouble again?’ Han Yu-young was bewildered but still answered politely.

Chun Gil-ryong munched on the chocolate and waved his pipe until Sun Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young’s car was out of sight.

The couple also delivered small gifts like leis, chocolates, and coffee to other neighbors. They didn’t forget to give souvenirs to neighbors they didn’t visit often, which they hadn’t expected at all. This was because Han Yu-young thought it would be nice to show their appreciation since they were the only ones in the small town who had been to Hawaii. Even those who were secretly jealous of Sun Kwang-yeon’s success had no choice but to acknowledge the couple’s thoughtfulness.

They gave liquor, wine, and cosmetics as a thank-you gift to Choi Mi-kyung’s house, where they had received the most help.

Kim Soon-bok, who received a pile of gifts, made a fuss.

“Heavens, Jinhyuk’s family has become even more beautiful after going to America.”

It was no wonder, as all the housewives in the neighborhood had permed hair, but Han Yu-young, who consistently kept her hair straight, still looked like a young lady. Her ebony straight hair went well with her dress, making her truly different from the other housewives raising children in the countryside.

“Jinhyuk’s family, can I talk to you for a moment?”

Kim Soon-bok pulled Han Yu-young aside.

Sun Kwang-yeon, quick to notice, approached the Jindo dog, Nurung, and made a familiar sound, clicking his tongue. It felt like everyone was pulling Han Yu-young aside, making him feel a bit left out.

Woof-!

“Eek-!”

He almost got bitten by Nurung and fell on his backside. It was the consequence of forgetting that no one except Janggun could look down on Nurung.

Kim Soon-bok glanced at Sun Kwang-yeon, who was far away, looked around once, and then cautiously opened her mouth.

“Well… I don’t know if I should even say this.”

“What is there that you can’t say between us?”

When Han Yu-young responded with a good-natured smile, Kim Soon-bok seemed to have made up her mind and got to the point.

“Well, it’s about our Jinhyuk. Is he okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh my, this is embarrassing, but it’s like this… I just happened to hear about it. Don’t misunderstand, okay? I just happened to hear it. Just happened to-”

Kim Soon-bok poured out the story she had heard during Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving]. It was so detailed, as if she had experienced it herself, and her tongue, which had finally found someone to talk to, was like a fish in water.

After hearing Kim Soon-bok’s words, Han Yu-young felt like the blood was draining from her head.

She had been happy and unaware of fatigue even after a flight of over ten hours, but how could this be?

‘Our son…’

She didn’t know where it went wrong, but the strange rumors about Jinhyuk had finally reached his mother’s ears.

The unexpected topic hit her skull with such force that Han Yu-young completely forgot Chun Gil-ryong’s advice.

***

Jinhyuk was so happy that his parents had come.

It wasn’t that taking care of his younger sister was difficult. It was just that the fact that the whole family was together made him happy.

“Mom! Mom! Mom!”

“Aigoo-koo, our princess has grown so much?”

Jinhyuk watched Yujin, who was being spoiled in her mother’s arms after a week, and realized that children needed their parents. It was an awakening that there was a limit to the love an older brother could give.

And he made a resolution.

‘I have to do something, even for Yujin’s sake.’

From now on, he shouldn’t live with anxiety, nor should he take risks.

The damage always falls on the vulnerable.

That’s that.

It was also heartwarming to sit down for dinner with his father after a long time, which reminded him of the day he had returned to the past.

“Honey, dear. Are our bracken and mung bean sprouts gone?”

His father wasn’t one to complain about the side dishes, but this was serious. The vegetables that his mother used to put on the table every meal, saying that her husband and son liked them, had disappeared. Jinhyuk also wanted to join the protest, so that was saying something. Jinhyuk, who also liked the vegetables, was secretly curious, and he was grateful that his father had asked.

Han Yu-young, who was dressing Yujin in the new clothes she had bought in Hawaii and cooing over her, said without turning around.

“They’re not good for men.”

He wanted to ask who was saying that, but he decided to hold back. It was because her voice sounded sharp. If he asked more at a time like this, she might take away the other side dishes too. The two men couldn’t ask any more and reached for the spicy pork bulgogi made with wild boar foreleg. Fortunately, the table had become abundant with his mother’s return, so they weren’t too dissatisfied. The fried egg with a drop of sesame oil was also appetizing.

Sun Kwang-yeon, who was happily eating the home-cooked meal after a long time, tilted his head.

‘I was fine though…’

Jinhyuk, who was eating his meal while feeling bewildered by his mother’s coldness, looked at his father.

To bring up what he needed to say for his family.

“Dad, are you rich?”

“It’s not that Dad is rich. Our family is rich.”

Sun Kwang-yeon smiled at his son.

His son was growing taller every day and seemed to have already grown taller than him. He wasn’t worried even if he left the house for a long time, and he took care of his younger sister so dearly, as if she might get hurt. He was a reliable son in many ways.

“How about hiring a security guard for the house? And building a place for them to stay?”

“Security? There’s nothing to steal?”

Sun Kwang-yeon shrugged with an indifferent expression.

The only valuables in the house were the jewelry he had gifted his wife, Han Yu-young, every time he made money. He had bought jewelry and pearls in Hawaii this time too, but how much could that be worth? No one knew that he had exchanged money for land because he was afraid of being robbed, right?

And he had heard from Hong Ki-joon that there were special forces-turned-bodyguards disguised as land brokers, monitoring or protecting them. He didn’t know what kind of crazy thing that was, but he figured it was okay since it wasn’t his money being spent. It didn’t interfere with his privacy either.

‘Jinhyuk probably doesn’t know the identity of the land brokers that Ki-joon hired, so he’s saying this.’

Sun Kwang-yeon hesitated to say what he had heard from Hong Ki-joon.

He thought it was better not to tell them about their existence because it could make his family anxious, and he still felt that way. He believed that the saying “ignorance is bliss” existed for times like this.

“Mom and Yujin are here, you know.”

Jinhyuk was worried about what might happen to his family when he wasn’t home. His father was busy with the workers during the day, so only his mother and Yujin were at home. Even if they locked the doors, if someone was determined, they could break down the doors or windows.

There was no guarantee that they would be safe until the land brokers, who were nowhere to be seen, arrived.

‘Wife and daughter.’

As if he had been hit on the back of the head with a hammer, Sun Kwang-yeon’s chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

That’s right. There was nothing more important than family. He had only thought about theft for the sake of property, but it wasn’t that simple. After hearing his son’s words, he felt like he hadn’t thought deeply about it because he was excited about his honeymoon.

‘The security team is on standby at a distance, right?’

Sun Kwang-yeon had already experienced the ugly side of humans blinded by greed. It was a world where people could harm each other with false information and small misunderstandings, so would someone with a long-held obsession leave his family alone?

‘Sun Kwang-yeon, you stupid fool!’

Sun Kwang-yeon’s head and heart grew cold. It was as if he had actually become immature while pretending to be a carefree man. He had been too optimistic, living too happily.

“What property is more important than Mom and my sister in our house…”

Jinhyuk emphasized once more.

Someone might think it was just a lighthearted remark from a carefree son, but from a father’s perspective, it was a heavy statement that felt like a stone was placed on his chest.

For Sun Kwang-yeon, just like Jinhyuk, family was that important.

That’s why he felt sorry for his children.

Besides, Jinhyuk wasn’t the type of son to bring up things without a reason. Sun Kwang-yeon sensed that something had definitely happened during Chuseok.

“Let’s think about it.”

Sun Kwang-yeon glanced at his wife and then winked at his son. It was a sign that they should talk separately.

If the house was gone, they could rebuild it, and if the wealth was gone, they could gather it again.

But family was not like that.

He had already heard about Hong Ki-joon’s plan. Something about going from the shadows to the light. Now it wasn’t just a personal problem, but a family problem. It was a relief that his son had brought up the topic at the right time.

‘It’s about time I said something.’

He was worried about when and how to bring it up.

It wasn’t that he was worried about his wife, who had a dauntless personality unlike her appearance, nor was he concerned about his son, who was serious for his age.

‘I don’t know anything at all.’

Sun Kwang-yeon didn’t know who was trying to threaten him or why.

Even Hong Ki-joon said he didn’t know who was behind it. He had tried everything, but he couldn’t find out.

– “Aren’t there a lot of bastards in this country who would do such dirty things? The only one who has a connection to you is Daejeong.”

Daejeong? Why would Daejeong? He had briefly interacted with a much older woman who called herself his older sister during his college years, but they weren’t related by blood, and he hadn’t done anything to earn their resentment.

‘This is driving me crazy. I can’t even go and confront them because I don’t know who’s doing this.’

Even if he found out who it was, he couldn’t go in front of someone who was trying to kill him, could he? He had settled in the countryside to avoid those guys.

When he noticed someone following him during his school days and reported it, that was it. He couldn’t get any help from the police. He was often scolded by the police for not being able to take care of himself.

The only person who helped Sun Kwang-yeon was Yoo Se-ra’s father. Sun Kwang-yeon was completely alone. That’s why his current family was so precious.

Because his father’s expression was quite serious, Jinhyuk continued to eat his rice to give him time to think. He was sad that there were no bracken and mung bean sprouts, but the meal his mother made was the best.

It was already his fourth bowl, and Han Yu-young was looking at her son, who was eating sparingly, with a pleased expression.

But her gaze was somehow pitiful.

It was because she had different worries than the Sun family.

Was it because she had given him too many vegetable side dishes when he was young? Was it because she had relied on cheap ingredients such as pollack stew, dried pollack braised in soy sauce, and salted mackerel head soup? She should have made more meat dishes, even if she had to overdo it…

‘Sungchan got scolded for secretly watching red videos.’

Jinhyuk doesn’t even touch the video in the master bedroom.

Is that why he has such a calm nature even though he’s in his adolescence?

She couldn’t undress her grown son to check.

Sigh-.

‘Mom is sorry.’

Looking at her husband, who pounced on her every night like it was the last day of the world, it didn’t seem like he was from her side of the family. When she thought about her father, who had barely gotten Han Yu-young in his old age, there was nothing suspicious except for her mother’s side.

***

Jinhyuk brought up what had happened during Chuseok.

Sun Kwang-yeon listened silently with a serious expression, without getting angry or interrupting Jinhyuk.

“It’s just the two of us here, so please tell me now.”

“Jinhyuk, Dad…”