Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: New Future
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"You bastard..."
Choi Mi-kyeong glared at him as if she wanted to devour him whole.
It didn't seem like the right answer.
"Uh... I have to exercise, and I need to go home and check on my little sister..."
It was a lame excuse that anyone could see through.
"Ah, right. Yu-jin is still little."
But it seemed to work on Mi-kyeong.
She couldn't hide her disappointment but didn't push further. Knowing Jin-hyuk's usual habits, she gave up easily. In that sense alone, she was a remarkably mature friend.
Because of Jin-hyuk's running routine, they didn't commute to school together often, but Mi-kyeong visited his house frequently. They'd do homework together, pick and eat wild bramble shoots in spring, or put flowers in Yu-jin's hair. It was typical behavior for a girl her age.
"Eat plenty, Mi-kyeong."
"Thank you."
Since Mom was always home, Mi-kyeong never did anything suspicious that Jin-hyuk worried about. She would sneak glances at Jin-hyuk's face while he smoothly solved problems for her, but since he wasn't a jerk, her shows of interest stopped there.
That's why Jin-hyuk never pushed her away or acted cold.
As he watched his friend pack up after finishing homework, Jin-hyuk thought to himself.
'I must have overreacted.'
He felt like he'd misunderstood and felt sorry toward Mi-kyeong.
"Jin-hyuk, I'm heading out. Yu-jin, sis is going. Be good."
"Bye-bye, sis."
"Take care."
"......"
Her weird speech patterns were still the same.
Dad was thrilled.
Every evening after the competition, he grabbed the phone and bragged.
"Hahaha! That's what I'm telling you. Our son swept four golds at the track meet this time—. Aigo, some middle school wanted to meet him once, but our son didn't want to, so I had to turn them down, and it was such a hassle..."
Judging by the casual tone, he was probably talking to Uncle Hong Gi-jun this time. How many times had he repeated this story? And I'd heard Hong Gi-jun was swamped with plant projects in the Middle East and Southwest Asia right now.
Sure, he'd won four events at the provincial track meet, but so what?
The daily life of a farmer's son, a country kid, wasn't going to change overnight. And that's the life Jin-hyuk wanted.
In the 21st century, a Korean elementary record in long jump might have gotten a brief news mention, but this was an era before the internet, even pagers weren't widespread yet. Besides, separate from the fun he got from track, Jin-hyuk had no desire for fame.
'I decided to live ordinarily.'
And carrying around his little sister Yu-jin and teaching her to talk was more fun than track. If he'd gotten married and had kids, he probably would have been a great dad, Jin-hyuk thought.
"Butterfly."
"Appa—."
"Flower."
"Kkoo—."
"Chicken."
"Kkoo—."
"Frog."
"Aew—?"
It would take time to have cultured conversations with Yu-jin. She'd seemed like a genius picking up words quickly, but now it felt like she was regressing into baby talk.
Jin-hyuk carried her in a sling on his back during his free time, strolling through fields and paddies. Dad was still jotting notes in his notebook, and Mom smiled happily beside him. The rice-transplanting laborers took off their hats to greet Dad, and it made Jin-hyuk proud, like they were bowing to a company chairman.
"Mom, is Yu-jin asleep? She seems still."
"Aigoo, our girl. She must find her big brother's back so comfy she's drooling in her sleep."
No wonder it felt damp.
Maybe because the whole family was out, the village head chatted briefly with Dad before reluctantly speaking up, arms wide to gather everyone in a hug.
"Let's head home. Today, I gotta play a game of baduk with our son."
His face looked way too excited for someone "reluctantly" going home.
Was it when I was nine?
Seeing Dad bored while reading books or watching TV alone, I suggested playing together. That was the start.
"Hahaha, I lost to Jin-hyuk again."
Dad had been thrilled when his son wanted to learn baduk, giving me nine stones and taking white. But by the time Jin-hyuk turned ten, Dad was holding black as a given. He even had to give three stones and admit defeat without finishing the game.
Son Gwang-yeon stroked his chin, staring at the board.
White had built a fortress in the upper left and was infiltrating the center. It was aggressively unconventional—not the play of a seasoned pro.
'People with real skill play more steadily.'
It was the kind of game you saw from kids who hadn't settled into a style yet and came up with fresh ideas. Dad, unaware of Jin-hyuk's true thoughts, chalked it up to that. He only knew half the story, so it wasn't the full truth.
'Dad, I don't know fancy hospitality baduk.'
This was Jin-hyuk, who never yielded momentum even against a group chairman.
Jin-hyuk pretended ignorance, peeled a banana, took a bite, and stood up. It was overripe, but fine for a kid's palate. He needed to fuel his fatigued muscles.
"Jin-hyuk, one more game? Please?"
"Time to jump rope in the yard."
"Then janggi! Janggi ends quick."
Couldn't even win one game, and here he goes again.
Jin-hyuk reluctantly sat back down. How could he refuse when Dad was this happy? Fifty games of janggi? No problem.
The match ended quickly.
"Dad, checkmate."
"Haa, in check from all sides. Lost again."
No mercy, though. Filial piety was one thing; competition was another.
Mom, preparing dinner, covered her mouth and laughed silently. Dad scratched the side of his head. The white general piece, cornered, seemed to tremble pitifully.
Scratch scratch—.
The sound of claws scraping the living room glass came from outside.
It was General.
In this house, you couldn't yell "check" carelessly during janggi.
The test results came out fast this year.
Sure, roundworms were common in rural school kids, so checking first made sense. But they said it was because enrollment had dropped due to population decline. Class sizes shrank each year, with first grade at just 11 kids. The attached kindergarten had six enrollees.
'The school shut down while I was in high school, I think.'
Knowing the school's fate in advance made it hard to feel cheerful, so Jin-hyuk couldn't hide his mixed feelings. And for another reason, his heart felt heavy.
Because...
"Park Jung-im—."
The teacher was handing out deworming pills.
The 30 sixth graders watched the teacher's mouth tensely. The called girl hung her head and stepped forward. Her lips pursed inward, dimples forming from embarrassment. Her eyes darted around uncertainly.
Teacher Choi Eung-muk smiled as he placed three white pills in Park Jung-im's hand.
"Yo, yo— what did this young lady eat?"
Still, considerate of the kids' feelings, he didn't go into details.
Kang Jin-su sniffled in the front row, looking like he'd won the world. And rightly so—with names called alphabetically by surname, they'd skipped him entirely.
The kids whispered.
"Hey, did Kang Jin-su get none?"
"He got a fistful every year. End times, end times."
"During cleaning duty?"
"Drank bleach?"
Son Jin-hyuk clasped his hands and closed his eyes gently.
Why was his heart pounding like this? Park came before Son.
"Seong Gong-han."
"Uwaak—."
The called kid screamed and bolted out.
Ah, there was a Seong surname. Answering with a scream—unique guy. Heart pounding, nerve-wracking. Even though it happened every year in elementary school, he never got used to it. Would his kid self have just laughed it off? Probably tensed up back then too.
Seong Gong-han went in, and the next carrier was called.
"Yuk Seong-chan."
That beanpole kid—should've known when he ate anything he found.
Whew—. Jin-hyuk leaned back in relief. Safe. His racing heart calmed.
Phew—. Mi-kyeong sighed too. "Ah, we survived," she muttered, patting Jin-hyuk's back as if consoling him after hard labor. She'd been more tense than getting a shot.
'Jin-su passed, so Mi-kyeong should be fine too.'
Jin-hyuk scanned the classroom comfortably. Each kid cheered and clapped as names were called—not mocking, but encouraging.
They were all good-hearted kids without rough edges. After 3 years and 7 months back in the past, these pure friends had made his ordinary, peaceful life possible. After this year, the boys would go to middle school together, but he'd part with the girls heading to girls' middle school.
'It was nice knowing you.'
He bid silent farewells to each one's back. Not even done with first semester, yet getting sentimental—must be hormones raging like lava. Jin-hyuk fell victim to nature too.
Teacher Choi called the last student.
"Hwang Jin-hee."
Wooo—, clap clap—.
The second-most embarrassing annual event after physicals ended amid applause. Both the uncalled and the pill-laden relaxed in relief.
However.
"Kang Jin-su, Choi Mi-kyeong, you two, come here."
Huh?
It wasn't over. Teacher Choi, frowning deeply, called both. His arms trembled, making the test sheet crinkle.
"You two..."
The teacher couldn't continue.
Jin-hyuk and the others stared at Mi-kyeong in surprise. Jin-su made sense, but the neat deputy class president? Jin-su and Mi-kyeong looked equally stunned as they shuffled to the podium.
"Take one bottle each."
As if no more explanation needed, Teacher Choi handed them adult-fist-sized bottles of deworming pills and left, muttering about Gangneung Choi family shame.
That's when it happened.
Murderous intent flashed in Mi-kyeong's eyes glaring at Jin-hyuk.
'Ah... shit.'
Remembering handing her "shit bag" to Jin-su straining in the bathroom and asking for a favor—didn't expect this.
Mi-kyeong returned to her seat, eyes red like she might cry, clutching the full bottle.
Jin-hyuk cautiously glanced at his deskmate and spoke.
"Uh, Mi-kyeong. That—."
"Shut up."
The child Mi-kyeong clenched her teeth and gulped.
At the master's telepathic command, Jin-hyuk meekly straightened up.
"Uh, got it. Yeah, that's best."
Even during break, Mi-kyeong just glared at her desk, not scolding Jin-hyuk.
Jin-hyuk grabbed Jin-su and asked what happened.
"H-hey, prez. How'd it turn out like this? No matter how hard I tried, nothing came out."
Okay, stop there. Jin-hyuk patted Jin-su's shoulder consolingly.
Fortunately, Mi-kyeong stayed silent through all classes.
......Probably gathering her rage for a big explosion.
"Hey, you bastard shiiiit—!"
On the way home, Mi-kyeong skipped the bus and chased Jin-hyuk hard.
Jin-hyuk ran slowly out of guilt, not full speed, keeping just out of her reach.
'Can't run too fast.'
She might trip and hurt herself chasing desperately. It was Jin-hyuk's way of caring for his friend.
"I carried your shit, not Jin-su's shiiiit—!"
Usually soft and cute, but once triggered, Mi-kyeong swore fluently.
She'd once cursed the jealous ones as "bitches who've never worked a day."
"Stand still, you bastard shiiiit—!"
Jin-hyuk was pleased watching Mi-kyeong grow. Her swears didn't even sound like swears.
Great voice too.
Woof woof woof—woof woof!
Look, even now—the neighborhood dogs were barking back at Mi-kyeong.
Running down the paved road through open fields with his friend, Jin-hyuk felt truly content. That's why people run together. Realizing it anew, how could he not be happy?
"Uhahaha—."
An inexplicable laugh burst from Jin-hyuk, who ran nonstop with Mi-kyeong on his tail. He felt sorry, but weirdly, it was fun? A new kind of thrill.
'Mi-kyeong must be enjoying it too, that's why she keeps chasing.'
A whiff of cow dung from nearby barns rode the spring breeze.
The fragrant hometown smell.
Mi-kyeong must've welcomed it too.
"Urp—! Son Jinyeeek—! Stand there, you freak— urp—!"
Uhahaha, nuhahaha—.
Laughter kept spilling from sheer joy. Different thrill from running with General. He turned his head and yelled without slowing.
"Mi-kyeong! Wanna run with me every day?"
"Shut up and stand still, you freak—!"
Nuhahaha—.
He kinda got what romance felt like.
Catch me if you can—.
"Urp—!"