The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 91

It was a serious and enjoyable time.

It was the first time since Jinhyuk came to the past that he had spent time with an adult.

It was no different for Sun Kwang-yeon. He even felt like he was talking to Hong Gijun. From his perspective, having never imagined having such a conversation with his family, it was refreshing.

Sun Kwang-yeon began to formulate and concretize his business plan in his head.

‘I need to do this properly.’

They were already supplying commercial crops from various farmlands, but it was a labor-intensive task, with high labor and transportation costs. The large-scale facility cultivation and simple contract farming with hired workers, which he had started after careful calculation, were still insignificant from Sun Kwang-yeon’s perspective to be called a business. To commercialize and create added value, a new approach was needed.

“Jinhyuk will help Dad a lot too, right?”

He was hoping that his smart and young brain would come up with many fresh ideas. But his son’s reaction was lukewarm.

Jinhyuk pushed out his lower lip and shrugged.

“I have to go to school.”

‘Look at this kid?’ Sun Kwang-yeon’s eyes widened in surprise.

But he wasn’t wrong. It was natural for a student to go to school, and in a world where perfect attendance awards were considered the most valuable, who could criticize a student for wanting to go to school?

He was a son who was so mature that his father often got confused about their roles.

“Then, can you teach me a move?”

“What do you mean…”

*Thud-* Jinhyuk felt like his skull was ringing.

If he wasn’t going to help with the business, was he asking for a move in Go [a strategic board game]? What a twist, talking about business while playing Go. He couldn’t keep up with his dad’s unpredictability. His dad was more unpredictable than a bull’s behind.

“No, no. I need to learn two moves.”

Sun Kwang-yeon said, pointing at the Go board with a serious expression. His fidgety hand gesture resembled Yujin’s. It was endless unpredictability.

Of course, the manly Jinhyuk crossed his arms to make an X with a solemn face.

When a firm answer came back, Sun Kwang-yeon trembled with betrayal.

Han Yuyoung was watching her husband and son having a strange conversation.

She had already formed a consensus with Yoo Sera, but men used unnecessarily difficult words. Why did they do that instead of using easy words? She couldn’t understand a single word.

She had no idea that it was a conversation between men who were unsure of who the enemy was or what they wanted.

Her son was using difficult words like anti-systemic and anti-social, and her husband’s expression wasn’t good, indicating that the words were difficult for him too. Han Yuyoung, thinking that she should be able to save her husband in times like this, nodded resolutely.

“Jinhyuk-ah, your dad is tired, let him rest.”

Sun Kwang-yeon, delighted by the voice of his wife, the highest authority in the house, jumped up reflexively. He waved his hands around haphazardly.

“Yes! It’s a draw!”

*Clatter! Clatter, clatter-*.

Sun Kwang-yeon, who had scattered the Go stones on the board, quickly ran towards Han Yuyoung. It seemed like it didn’t even take a second for him to hide behind his wife.

‘That dad is really…’

His outstanding change of attitude was unmatched.

Even now, his seriousness was gone, and only Han Yuyoung’s bell-ringing laughter remained.

‘See if I help you.’

Well, he would help if needed, but he figured his dad would manage on his own.

Still, Jinhyuk felt relieved, as if the shadow that had been cast over his heart had lifted.

As he was putting away the Go board with a smile on his face, Yujin, with her eyes half-closed, approached him, hugging her teddy bear. It seemed she had something to say to her brother.

*Whisper, whisper-*.

“But, Oppa won, right?”

*Hehehe-*.

His younger sister was the best.

Jinhyuk lifted his sister up and spun her around.

“Kyahaha-!”

He thought the atmosphere in the house was similar to the border area of a war documentary.

The tension of not knowing when gunfire might break out and the laughter of children coexisted.

***

Even though it was dawn, the light in the study on the third floor of the Sun family’s house was still on.

All three members of the Sun family were sleeping in their respective places. Sun Kwang-yeon was in the master bedroom, Jinhyuk was in his room on the second floor, and Sun Yujin was in front of Jinhyuk’s room, sleeping in a frog position, mumbling.

“It’s a good thing I took notes diligently.”

Han Yuyoung rubbed her tired eyes and flipped through her notebook.

The cool air coming in through the open window and the sound of crickets helped her study.

Her son had shown talent in sports, and she had told her husband to enroll him in the Korea National Open University. After enrolling in Food and Nutrition, he attended lectures every week without fail and even took summer classes during vacation.

‘It must be because I focused only on growth when planning his diet. It’s all Mom’s fault.’

Her fist, which was tapping her chest, felt heavy.

“Banana? He eats this every day. Celery, chives, cabbage, pork, seaweed, oysters…”

Han Yuyoung had perked up her ears and taken notes when the professor mentioned foods that were good for men as an aside. Other students laughed it off since it wasn’t on the exam, but Han Yuyoung had memorized every word like someone thirsty for knowledge.

“Oysters aren’t in season yet. I’ll have to go get oysters in the winter. Eggs, animal liver, walnuts? Is it because walnuts look like brains that they’re good for brains? Hehehe-.”

Before she knew it, her worries had disappeared, and a silly chuckle began to take over the study.

‘They say couples resemble each other.’

“Since the others are foods we eat often, should I plan a diet focusing on oysters in the winter?”

She put chives and cabbage on the table almost every day because Jinhyuk liked them, and she never forgot pork for Yujin, who loved meat. In the end, she concluded that it was because he had eaten poorly as a child. There was no way to turn back time, and even if she did, her financial situation would be the same, so there was nothing she could do. Let’s try feeding him oysters.

Thinking that, Han Yuyoung came down the stairs.

“Oh my, our daughter. You’re sleeping here again?”

It was when Han Yuyoung picked up Yujin.

*Click-* Jinhyuk opened his door and came out.

“Oh? Jinhyuk, are you awake?”

“Yes. I usually take Yujin in around this time.”

It was the siblings’ sleep routine.

When his sister, who crawled up the stairs like a toad, arrived in front of his room, Jinhyuk would take her in to sleep. Strangely, Yujin slept well next to her brother without tossing and turning.

“Mom will take her.”

“She’ll come again even if you do. Give her to me.”

Han Yuyoung inadvertently handed over her daughter.

Her curiosity got the better of her, and her mouth blurted out.

“Jinhyuk, are you not wearing underwear?”

She realized her mistake, but who else but a mother could casually check her son’s attire?

Jinhyuk, still drowsy, mumbled nonchalantly.

“I’m wearing them. Go to sleep.”

“Okay-. Sleep well, my son.”

*Click-*.

Even after the door closed, Han Yuyoung couldn’t easily leave her son’s room.

It was because her wide eyes were having trouble focusing.

‘What the hell kind of bitch is spreading rumors about my son?’

Although she was far from being a tough farmer, Han Yuyoung, who had been hanging out with the strong women in the neighborhood, had learned to use swear words properly.

‘It must be because it’s dawn.’

Her husband had told her that healthy men were usually like that in the early morning. She had confirmed that her son was proudly blowing his morning bugle in his workout clothes, just like his father, so what was the point of oysters?

Since the cold wind had started blowing in the morning and evening, she should make some pollack stew.

‘I believed in my son!’

Then she remembered the advice Cheon Gilyong had given her.

She also couldn’t forget her plan to brag to Kim Sunbok. Kim Sunbok was the one who had bragged about her son all the time when Choi Taeyang was in middle school. She didn’t know why it was something to be proud of, but it subtly tickled the competitive spirit of mothers with sons.

If she told Kim Sunbok, the whole neighborhood would know.

Now, another rumor about Jinhyuk was about to spread in the neighborhood.

‘My son is wearing underwear! You! You don’t know anything!’

It was from this moment.

That the pride of having a son began to rise in Han Yuyoung’s heart.

Even when he set a new Korean record at the track and field meet, her shoulders had only gone up a little, but now they were about to pierce the ceiling.

It was a trivial pride.

But wasn’t it the way of the world that even having no flaws was something to be proud of?

Han Yuyoung’s footsteps, as she walked down the stairs, were as graceful as those of a fairy descending from the moon.

***

Every day after school, Jinhyuk spent time talking about work with his dad.

‘He’s always cheerful, but he seems especially happy these days.’

Sun Kwang-yeon felt reassured that he had someone to rely on besides Hong Gijun.

Sun Kwang-yeon explained, drawing on the ground with a stick.

“They seem to have chosen Daldeok-myeon as the optimal location.”

Jinhyuk, with a sullen face, pouted his lips.

“It’s unexpected since the terrain there isn’t flat and it’s far from the town.”

“That’s true, but they chose a place where there would be little opposition from the residents. Maybe it’s because they live near the air force base, but they seem to be okay with it.”

“That means the project will move forward quickly.”

Sun Kwang-yeon smiled with satisfaction as Jinhyuk nodded.

“It’s not a bad choice for us either.”

“We can go there without going through the town.”

“That’s right. We can go past the school Jinhyuk graduated from, and they plan to expand it to a two-lane road next year. No one will say anything even if you drive at 80 kilometers per hour.”

Sun Kwang-yeon emphasized the 80 kilometers per hour.

Wasn’t his son particularly obsessed with 80 kilometers per hour?

“When will they start building the industrial complex?”

“It seems like it’s taking time to negotiate between departments. There’s also the budget issue, so it might not be possible until early next year.”

“What if the Sein Group pushes for it?”

“You know how it is. Gijun hates getting involved in politics. It’s a disease with him. Like an obsession. He acts like he’ll get poop on him if he has to eat with a politician.”

He could understand.

Even when he was chairman, Hong Gijun had refused an invitation from the Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the South Korean president]. Of course, it turned out to be a good thing that he didn’t go. The businessmen who attended that event were all called to the National Assembly for hearings.

Anyway, although it wasn’t about refusing an invitation, the Sein Group was under constant media fire and had to undergo a high-intensity tax audit.

‘He should have anticipated the hardships of the employees, even if it was his principle.’

If the old man had suffered a little, the young people wouldn’t have had to rub their dark circles and suffer.

Sun Kwang-yeon unfolded a large piece of paper as he watched Jinhyuk shake his head.

“We’ve decided to lease four lots for now. Here, and here-”

Even though it looked like he was reporting to his son, Sun Kwang-yeon looked excited.

He also felt regret that he should have started a business sooner if he had known it would be like this.

“Isn’t that a special favor?”

“Not really. They can’t ignore the contribution to the local economy. According to Congressman Song, all the companies applying to move in are from other regions. There aren’t many participating companies, so there’s plenty of land left anyway.”

“It’s going to cost a lot of money…”

Even with budget support, it was a matter of building four factories and an office at once. It was something that could never be dreamed of without one’s own capital.

That meant he would have to sell land, and Jinhyuk, knowing his dad’s affection for land, couldn’t fathom the sense of loss Sun Kwang-yeon would feel.

Sun Kwang-yeon, understanding his son’s concern, chuckled. As if it was ridiculous.

“Don’t worry. At least this time, I don’t think I’ll have to sell land or take out a loan. I can’t sell my precious land for such a trivial matter.”

“How?”

“It’s possible if you have good friends.”

Sun Kwang-yeon winked, making eye contact with his son.

It was a perfect Casanova wink, unlike Hong Gijun’s eyelid twitch.

‘Ugh-. It’s making me nauseous.’

Regardless of the nausea, Jinhyuk felt a certain energy sprouting from his dad. Was this what they called vitality? Even though he called it a trivial business, seeing him exude so much energy, his dad was a pretender.

“He said he wanted to talk about such important things in person. I’m planning to go to Seoul soon.”

“You’ll be staying overnight.”

“I guess so.”

“Don’t worry about the house and go.”

“I’m not worried. They say there’s no place safer than our house in Korea.”

It was a valid point. He had confirmed how excellent the agents were through their personnel files.

Jinhyuk, who knew Sun Kwang-yeon as Hong Gijun’s strategist, could understand Hong Gijun’s measures. After all, his dad had repeatedly refused to come to Seoul and work together.

“Shouldn’t you have a formal meeting with those uncles?”

He thought it would be good to at least have a meal together, given the rural hospitality. Of course, his mom would do the cooking, but Jinhyuk was planning to help too.

“They said they would never show themselves without Gijun’s approval.”

“Those uncles must be having a hard time too.”

“We’re going to resolve that issue when we meet this time.”

“Resolve it?”

“They’ll probably build a security building around our house. I’ll have to give them some land there. At a high price.”

Sun Kwang-yeon winked once more, emphasizing the words ‘at a high price.’

It was good that his dad seemed happy, but Jinhyuk barely managed to resist the urge to poke his own eyes. But he couldn’t poke his dad’s eyes either.

‘Stop it!’

Why a wink between men?

***

When you dig in the mudflats, you find all sorts of things. From the creatures that should be there, like octopus, clams, mudskippers, and crabs, to the traces of ancestors, like broken pottery and unbroken pottery. You could even dig up things like bicycles and motorcycles. Well, it was hard to use them.

If he had to pick the most unusual thing that Yuk Young-gu had dug up…

One autumn day, when the sun was still high, Yuk Young-gu was diligently digging to catch mudflat octopus when something hard caught the end of his shovel.

“Huh? What is this?”

He thought it was another clump of oyster shells, but the sensation he felt on the shovel blade and his hand told him it wasn’t. It was definitely something harder, and he thought it must be pottery. He thought it would be good timing to replace the dog’s bowl, so he continued digging a few more times.

But what finally came out into the world was an unexpected object.

“Huh? What is this? This son of a bitch, isn’t this a bomb?”

It was about a hand span long and quite heavy. At that moment, something flashed through Yuk Young-gu’s mind.

– [If you find an unexploded bomb, please report it to the military unit or the nearest police station.]

He remembered the instructions for handling unexploded bombs that the village chief had broadcast at the village hall.

“Those bastards are always busy, so I’ll just take it to the town on my way.”

Yuk Young-gu put the shell in a Styrofoam icebox, hoping for a reward.