The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 97

Jinhyuk also noticed it.

The conversation had been a pleasant back-and-forth, but at some point, only his father’s voice could be heard. ‘That old man is watching me.’ Jinhyuk calmly crossed his arms and stared at the bookshelf.

Even as he tried to focus on his thoughts about his grandparents and the Daejeong Group, Yoo Myung-sun’s gaze pierced through his concentration, unsettling Jinhyuk.

‘Ugh, this is uncomfortable.’

He had heard in the car that this man was his father’s benefactor, someone who had helped him during difficult times. Yet, the atmosphere was more like his father was being treated as a VIP. The way he looked at his mother and him wasn’t like that of a typical chaebol [a large family-owned business conglomerate].

Now that he had a solid lead on the person threatening his father, there was no reason to stay any longer.

‘I should leave.’

He decided it was best to find some peace of mind first. He had seen through the window that Janggun was marking his territory and putting on a grand exhibition, so he might as well take care of that too.

He was about to turn away when Yoo Myung-sun called out to him.

“Hey, you.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“Hahaha, what’s with the ‘Elder’ from a young one like you? You should call me grandfather.”

“Ah… yes, Grandfath-ther.”

Jinhyuk scratched the back of his head.

He had probably only used that term a couple of times with Chun Gil-ryong. How many times had he even used that title in his life? Even though he saw a glimpse of Yoo Se-ra in him, he was still a strange old man and the owner of a major group. He had never imagined he would call someone like that ‘grandfather’.

“We’ve been given this precious time to meet, but we haven’t even had a proper conversation. Would you tell me a bit about yourself?”

Yoo Myung-sun pulled out a chair and sat down, patting the seat next to him.

Jinhyuk obediently sat next to Yoo Myung-sun.

‘Oh man, I’m so nervous.’

Was this old man dangerous? He had remained calm even when facing Moon Seok-il’s group, who had reached the limits of human ability, but in front of Yoo Myung-sun, he felt strangely intimidated. It seemed Jinhyuk’s resistance only went as far as Chairman Hong Ki-joon. Come to think of it, he had also felt somewhat intimidated when talking to Grandpa Chun Gil-ryong.

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with real adults. His father and uncles were younger than his soul, so that didn’t count. Jinhyuk pondered this as he stared at Yoo Myung-sun.

“I hear you’re good at both studying and sports?”

“Yes, well, so-so…”

“Hahaha, I thought you were just tall, but you even speak like an adult.”

* * *

In a short time, he had quite a long conversation with Yoo Myung-sun. He saw his father’s back as he stood by the window, looking out at the garden, and he also met Yoo Myung-sun’s gaze as he patted his hand.

The conversation was mostly about Jinhyuk, and it felt like a comfortable time, as if he were talking to a grandfather he lived with. The vague tension disappeared, and he felt a sense of warmth.

The topic of Yoo Se-ra and Hong Su-jung also came up, and Yoo Myung-sun awkwardly smiled and asked him to take care of them.

‘Why would you ask a teenager to do that?’

So, Su-jung’s mother’s eccentricity was inherited. He heard that the chairman’s wife had passed away not long after giving birth to Yoo Se-ra, so he could understand why he might be so fond of his daughter.

“Is there anything you want to ask this old man?”

What could he ask for on their first meeting? Even if he had a security-related request, it would be better for his father to ask Hong Ki-joon directly.

“There’s noth-thing.”

Jinhyuk smiled faintly, feeling it was difficult to use such informal language with the chairman.

Perhaps amused by his awkwardness, Yoo Myung-sun laughed heartily, shaking the study.

“I heard you don’t have a proper place to exercise.”

“I’m just in the same situation as other students.”

Yoo Myung-sun pursed his lips and nodded. He seemed to be pondering something.

“A-hem, I had a similar conversation with your daughter and mother. We decided to make a decision after seeing your records in your third year.”

“So, you still have the desire to exercise.”

“Yes. It’s fun.”

He could say that with confidence.

Jinhyuk always imagined himself running on the track. He didn’t know why he was so obsessed, but the thought of the track made him happy. The thrill of turning to look at the scoreboard after crossing the finish line was more than just pleasure; it was pure ecstasy.

“This old man will find a way to help.”

“Huh?”

“If someone has talent, you shouldn’t hold back their name.”

Like our Ki-joon. Yoo Myung-sun muttered.

Shouldn’t you not hold back their talent? What does it mean to not hold back their name? Does he mean I should hand out business cards?

Jinhyuk simply nodded with a nonchalant expression.

“If you hide your talent and live a life of obscurity, you’re wasting your life. Didn’t your father say he wouldn’t do that anymore? It’s like losing money by not earning what you could. Whether it’s making money or building influence. I’m not just saying I’ll help. I’m saying I’ll invest in a worthwhile place.”

That was a businessman’s way of speaking.

Sohn Kwang-yeon, who had been listening from afar, flinched at the mention of hiding.

Oh, it’s Yoo-jin and my dear. He pretended to be distracted by the garden.

Yoo Myung-sun, holding Jinhyuk’s hand, said softly,

“Many people envy me, you know.”

He nodded silently in agreement.

It was true that people looked at a chaebol chairman with envy. They believed there was nothing money couldn’t do. And that was often the case.

As Jinhyuk’s time passed, Yoo Myung-sun’s story flowed through the study like the sound of a stream.

“I envy you.”

Yoo Myung-sun patted Jinhyuk’s hand.

Just like Chairman Hong Ki-joon had done before the accident.

“At this age, you don’t have the same strength or ambition as before. Your mind becomes dimmer than your eyes, and you’re left with only an old man’s stubbornness.”

He had been aging into a stubborn old man.

But then, his son-in-law had lit a fire in the old man’s heart.

– “I will make Sein the best in the world without any dirty backing. I will make it so that employees feel like they have achieved a successful life just by working at Sein.”

Even if it was just empty words, it sent a thrill through his heart, like pouring hot oil on a man’s chest. It was a passion that could not be bought for any amount of money. Yoo Myung-sun didn’t have the talent to handle that passion, so he had given his son-in-law full authority.

A similar passion was rekindled when he saw Jinhyuk.

Their past connection played a part, and it was also a desire for future connections.

It was possessiveness.

He had lost Sohn Moon-ye, whom he had cherished like a younger sibling, and he had only just found Sohn Kwang-yeon. He wanted to continue the connection, and then a perfect piece appeared. It could be called the greed of an old man’s senility, but if Hong Ki-joon had chosen him, there was no need to hesitate. That was how absolute Yoo Myung-sun’s trust in Hong Ki-joon was.

“If you enjoy exercising, this old man will send you a fun gift.”

It was a small investment to keep the boy that his son-in-law had marked and that his precious daughter called out in her sleep. It was an obsession that he had to do this much as a grandfather. And it was the lingering attachment of a greedy man looking at the end of his life.

“I’ll discuss the rest with your father.”

“Yes…”

Jinhyuk nodded with a blank expression. He didn’t even know what he was going to get, so he didn’t say thank you. Maybe he’ll buy me a car like in a novel? If it’s a fun gift, it’s not going to be a Game Boy, is it?

He said he’d give me a gift, but then he says he’ll talk to my dad. Seriously, the people in the Yoo family are as eccentric as a hippo’s butt.

Seeing Jinhyuk nod, Yoo Myung-sun chuckled. He looked genuinely happy.

The sound of Sohn Kwang-yeon muttering as he scanned the report was drowned out by Yoo Myung-sun’s laughter.

“Why did this kid write this by hand instead of using a typewriter or computer?”

* * *

‘One million won.’

In the car heading to Hong Su-jung’s house after leaving Chairman Yoo Myung-sun’s house, Jinhyuk blinked, holding a crisp check. It was a check that Chairman Yoo Myung-sun had given him as pocket money.

When a ten million won check had come out of his wallet, he had a fleeting thought.

– “Oh my, I’m getting old. Hahaha.”

Chairman Yoo Myung-sun’s flustered appearance as he said he had pulled out the wrong one was endearing.

Thanks to his rich father, he had seen a ten million won check, something that most middle school students would never see. But this was the first time in his life that a one million won check had been in his possession. His friends would be wide-eyed even at the sight of a hundred thousand won check.

The chairman was indeed generous. With the large sum of money, the tension flowed through his body, which had been drowsy from the long car ride and post-meal sleepiness. What should he use this for? What could he do with this to become a rich older brother?

Should he sell roasted sweet potatoes in the winter or rent out tubes at the beach in the summer? He could make a decent amount of money by picking watermelons from the field and selling them. Ah, he would have to steal them to sell them.

Jinhyuk squeezed his eyes shut and then turned to his mother in the back seat.

“Here.”

“Okay. Mom will keep it safe.”

She was indeed a mother who would keep it safe. She had given him his post office savings account, which he had been saving in throughout elementary school, so he could manage it himself.

Han Yu-young stroked her daughter’s hair and asked,

“Should Mom keep Yoo-jin’s too?”

“Uh-uh, uh-uh.”

Yoo-jin shook her head and turned away.

What does a five-year-old know? But after thinking about the cookie war, it was understandable. So, Han Yu-young proposed a traditional trade.

“Yoo-jin, look at this. Let’s trade these two for that one.”

Han Yu-young waved two one-thousand won bills.

Jinhyuk, who had been watching the mother and daughter, gaped. Seeing her try to buy a million won with two thousand won, it seemed his mother also had the makings of a great businesswoman. Did his father become a landowner in the same way?

“No, hehehe.”

But Yoo-jin was not an easy little kid. She still wouldn’t let go of the check she was holding tightly. Yoo-jin must know and be refusing. She must be. The texture of paper money and checks is different.

Jinhyuk, who had been silent, stepped in.

“You’ll lose it if you keep it. Give it to your brother.”

“Yes.”

Jinhyuk gave the check that Yoo-jin had handed over back to his mother.

Looking at his bewildered mother, he thought,

‘Shouldn’t I get a brokerage fee?’

Was he slowly becoming a slave to money?

This was also probably the result of hormones and neurons randomly combining.

Jinhyuk swallowed his nonsense and shook his head vigorously to get rid of his greed.

He was a student now, and his mother was taking care of everything from head to toe, so what use was money?

Hehe.

Janggun, who hadn’t received any pocket money and had only eaten a lot of rice with beef soup, let out a satisfied sigh.

* * *

The one who was most excited upon arriving at Hong Su-jung’s house was Janggun.

There was a golden retriever in the garden, but this dog was so gentle that he just sat and watched even when Janggun was being a hyperactive nuisance. He didn’t even react when Janggun stole his food or bit and pulled his ears.

Worried, Jinhyuk warned him.

“Janggun, you’re going to get bitten if you keep doing that.”

Even though he was muscular and tough, he would still get bitten.

“It’s okay, Oppa. Our Bomi is gentle.”

“Bomi? Is it a girl?”

“Boy.”

He was about to ask why a male dog was named Bomi, but he stopped himself.

Janggun was Janggun, so was it a big deal that Bomi was Bomi? Hong Su-jung must have tied the pink ribbon around his neck.

‘She liked pink even when she was young.’

Hong Su-jung used to enjoy wearing pink knitwear in private.

To be reminded of the past by a single ribbon, it might be a memory he would have to carry in his heart for the rest of his life.

Just then, Hong Ki-joon’s car arrived. He had been working non-stop these days, even on weekends, but he had made a big effort to leave work early because Jinhyuk’s family was coming.

Jinhyuk held his breath for a moment when he saw the person driving Hong Ki-joon’s car.

‘Manager Kim Cheol-min.’

The 50-year-old manager who used to drive Chairman Hong Ki-joon’s car. He had been in the same car during the accident. He must have worked under Chairman Hong Ki-joon for a long time. He looked so young, no more than twenty-five at most. The way he got out of the driver’s seat and greeted them made him look like a handsome bodyguard.

‘This feels strange.’

He couldn’t act like he knew him, so he just gave a silent bow with a welcoming heart. Come to think of it, the last team member he had seen, Manager Min Yong-rak, was also around that age. Where was he now? Was he in the military?

While Jinhyuk was lost in thought, Hong Ki-joon handed Kim Cheol-min a few checks, telling him to buy some late-night snacks. It was an amount that could be mistaken for a salary, not just the cost of snacks.

“I’m making you work on the weekend because of me. Let’s see each other late tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Vice Chairman.”

Jinhyuk gasped.

‘Vice Chairman? At the age of thirty-nine?’

He had been publicly announced as the successor, and it wasn’t unusual for him to be called the honorary group vice chairman with the title of president.

What surprised Jinhyuk was that the group was Sein.

The symbolism of the vice chairman of the Sein Group was different from other companies.

This guy really made it big?