Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Wind Blows
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Hong Su-jeong's wails, straight out of kindergarten, vanished without a trace.
Jin-hyuk lingered in the yard for a moment, gazing at the hill where Chairman Hong's car had disappeared. Like a snake tail slipping into a burrow, the image of the little girl lingered on his retina. They called it lingering attachment. She had clung to him every vacation, growing on him.
He rotated his left arm, which she had used as a pillow every night.
It felt empty. A needless pang from the lightness.
'Still, freedom at last. Long live Korean independence!'
He stretched exaggeratedly on purpose.
Dad held Yu-jin in one arm and a comprehensive gift set in the other, a present from Chairman Hong to share with the neighbors. He beamed at Mom, asking permission like always.
"I'm going to play at Tae-yang's. It's been a while since I saw his face."
"Sure, go ahead."
Choi Tae-yang was Choi Mi-kyeong's older brother, five years older than Jin-hyuk and already in high school. Jin-hyuk rarely ran into him. As a wrestler making a name for himself, he spent most of his time at training camps. Once a month, when he came home, he'd stop by their close neighbor's house to say hello.
'That guy went all the way to Baekdu Champion later, right?'
He was a tall, muscular powerhouse. It was the New Year's National Wrestling Tournament. Choi Tae-yang got flattened by his opponent's aggressive moves. The image was burned vividly into Jin-hyuk's memory.
'It was hilarious.'
Instead of the belly grab and push, he should have gone for a belt hold. Jin-hyuk recalled the past with a serious face. As a neighbor and friend of his sister, it hurt to see Tae-yang crushed by a sumo-level opponent. He must have been about thirty-five then.
Well, it was entertaining.
He kicked off his slippers and flopped onto the porch bench.
Recovering the energy Hong Su-jeong had bawlingly stolen would take time. He let out a satisfied sigh and sat on the bench, enjoying a moment of idle rest. General licked his toes, which was fun, so he wiggled them.
"Heh heh, that tickles."
Lifting his chin to look at his feet, the nails were as shy as their owner. No wonder he'd been feeling a tearing pain in his big toe when running lately.
'I'm pretty oblivious too.'
His feet had no easy days from the intense workouts. Jin-hyuk gently massaged his callused toes, pierced by ingrown nails. But only for a moment.
Happy as he was with the reclaimed peace, he couldn't lounge forever. He spread his homework out on the bench. He'd fallen behind, playing with the Seoul kid and Yu-jin all vacation.
'Overtime it is.'
Jin-hyuk was already much taller than other twelve-year-olds. But he had a big desire to grow even more. That was why he maximized appetite and sleep through exercise and meditation.
As the ancients said, humans have three desires. Jin-hyuk was human too, so he couldn't escape them.
Appetite, sleep desire, and the last one...
"Ow! Damn it!"
...General's bite.
Chomp.
His feet must have tasted good, because General chomped down heartily. It was vaccinated against rabies and his dearest friend, so forgiving Jin-hyuk let it slide.
Anyway, to grow tall, he couldn't skimp on sleep.
That was why he had to finish homework quickly.
'Clock out on time. Leave stragglers behind.'
The resolute hero Jin-hyuk drew his sword.
The pencil in the hero's hand began weaving elegant swordplay.
The indifferent strokes were straight as if ruled.
'This is a plane, this a frog, this General—er, dog. This a baby, not as cute as our Yu-jin.'
His single strokes connected drawings and letters flawlessly.
Pressing his solar plexus point while doing mental math, no mortal could spot an error.
'Seven times four is twenty-eight. Math is easy.'
Who feared the long hot days of midsummer?
With his legs cleaning service at foot level, belly down in the shade of the zelkova tree, this was Peach Blossom Paradise. Lifting his stiff neck briefly, the lush green grass teased his senses.
Homework done, Jin-hyuk sat up on his knees.
A master who felled all foes in one breath, but too many enemies had drained his spirit. Hunching over drained him, making his chest tight. To avoid qi deviation, he regulated his breathing.
Huuuuh.
That was when.
"Huh? One left?"
An arch-enemy glared at him in bold letters.
Essay. Topic: "Heart-Pounding Summer Vacation"
'Ugh... Essays are tough.'
Jin-hyuk had no writing contest wins.
Diaries too—his handwriting aside, the mature content made people suspect Dad ghostwrote it.
Didn't they say sensitive souls write well? His writing was always dry, like a worn-out inanimate object.
'Brutal feedback.'
Their critique was spot on.
His brain excelled at logic-based reports for persuasion, so it was accurate criticism.
This planning-specialized machine summoned an all-purpose aide.
He opened his lower dantian, gathered energy in the middle.
"Mooooom!"
How did it come to this?
He'd just asked Mom for essay help, but things went weird.
"...No leech clings like that. Every three days she'd show up. But this oppa had nowhere to stay, right? What could I do? It was dark outside, raining. Couldn't let her get mosquito-bitten in midsummer outdoors, and no other houses around. Seoul folks are so scared of shadows at night. A grown man so timid—cute, though. So I let her sleep in my room. Couldn't tell little Jin-hyuk the details yet, but Mom had fallen poor, house rundown, no other rooms. Then, thinking I was asleep, Dad's hand crept up my arm like a spider—."
Why was this woman, who wouldn't share family woes with her young son, spilling this? Wrong angle entirely.
Uh, excuse me. Hold on. Jin-hyuk flailed his hand, babbling.
"Mom—."
"Shush. Listen more. So I swatted Dad's hand away. Then this oppa pouts and rolls over! Your grandpa said men need persistence. So I patted Dad's back—."
Giving him a retry for persistence training?
Who knew Mom was such a storyteller? She never talked unless asked.
Jin-hyuk's soul wandered vast space.
His unfocused eyes plummeted; the pencil in his hand lost direction.
'Can... can I use this?'
No way for a twelve-year-old vacation essay. Teacher might accept Shower or Camellia Flower level.
'This is more like When the Buckwheat Flowers Bloom.'
Mom self-censored wildly, but his blunt style couldn't capture it. Why this story for essay help? Ah, Mom lacks summer memories. Jin-hyuk tried understanding her.
And ignoring it hard.
'Not hearing. Not hearing.'
Maybe his odd face? Her soft, spring-breeze voice quieted. Mom's lips closed. After chattering excitedly, cicadas alone remained, scolding him. Unfilial son.
'Should've pretended to listen.'
He thought he made her stop. Speakers lose passion if listeners don't engage; worse, get hurt. Even without cicada talk, he felt unfilial. Mom had no one to chat with. He looked at her apologetically.
White fluffy clouds in blue sky filled her clear eyes.
Flushed cheeks, large black pupils drowsily sky-gazing.
A wistful look only a soul in its own world can have.
Not upset at all.
"... ."
No need to apologize.
Jin-hyuk swallowed his automatic sighs.
"I'll just write something else."
Mom wasn't listening.
She just looked heart-poundingly summer-themed.
Dad's educated; maybe he can help.
"Moon so bright, no clouds, then sudden rain. I stood firm under the eaves, vowing to guard your night. I'm a man, after all. But your mom grabbed my hand and—."
Their versions differed.
But expressions matched.
"D-Dad—."
"Hold on. This part's killer? Ah, this girl insists despite me saying it's fine... Got a bit wet, looking fresh as a flower petal, porcelain glowing in moonlight—."
Aaaah! Jin-hyuk plugged his ears and fled to the village hall. Hot wind blasted his chest. General hurried after.
'Dad's genre is dangerous!'
Too sensual.
Thought he sneaked romance novels. Or maybe Joy of Birds... No, that book's not out yet. Media wouldn't be this quiet.
Untamable parents. Jin-hyuk swallowed his grudge.
'Glad you two met!'
Doomed.
Heart-pounding prompt wasted the homework and fed him weird stories.
After dinner, he spread paper again. See? Overtime.
Essay on Yu-jin and General.
"The baby was a superpowered being. On a summer night when the blindingly bright full moon claimed dominion over the world, the sleepless baby toddled out at a dog's bark. Though cloudless, sudden downpour swelled the stream haughtily. The dog, unable to cross alone, had barked for the baby's help...
Yawn-inducing sentences, but writing each character stirred his dried-up sensitivity. Hormones kicking in, maybe. World-building owed Mom and Dad, though.
After summer break, Son Gwang-yeon got a call from the homeroom teacher.
- Sir, we know you love your son, but homework should be done by the child—.
"...?"
Son Gwang-yeon felt wronged.
He'd recited romance; son submitted fantasy.
Harvest done, frost rimmed the flooded paddies.
Crackling speakers broadcast the principal's grandfatherly closing speech.
End-of-term ceremony over, excited kids from one village walked home shoulder-to-shoulder for winter break.
Fifth-grader Son Jin-hyuk was the same.
Choi Mi-kyeong gripped her bike handle on his right, Yuk Seong-chan on his left, walking together.
Yuk Seong-chan lived deeper, by the seaside.
Seong-chan sniffed and asked.
"Why no running today, Jin-hyuk?"
Just.
Wanna walk today. Is this the winter sentiment of a cool country boy?
...Sky's blue.
"Whatcha doing break, Jin-hyuk?"
Play with sis.
She says "oppa" clearly now—so cute. At 30 months, full toddler vibe; Miss Korea win by default maybe.
"Hey! Son Jin-hyuk! Answer when asked!"
Mi-kyeong yelled.
"Sorry. Was pondering something important."
What, you old kid.
Mi-kyeong narrowed her eyes; Seong-chan snorted deeply.
"You got worries too, Jin-hyuk? Me too."
"What worries a friend?"
Regressor too? Nah, snot says no. Regressors shed tears, not snot.
You're observing hormones live too. Jin-hyuk muttered inaudibly.
Mi-kyeong sighed at his speech, shaking her head.
Fun walk home together, but his old-man talk never adapted.
"Y'know..."
Seong-chan trailed off, glancing at Mi-kyeong, then tiptoed to whisper in Jin-hyuk's ear. Wondering why only Jin-hyuk grew so tall from same village.
'You like Mi-kyeong? Why whisper?'
Seemed to like Lee Hae-won from observations.
Jin-hyuk mused oddly as Seong-chan cupped his mouth and whispered.
Whisper whisper.
Oh god.
Jin-hyuk's face paled white.