Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: New Future (2)
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One day in late June, just before July.
He joined other athletes from various regions in the province for a training camp in Gongju.
"Yeah, I'm doing fine. Training's the same as always."
From some place in Gongju, Jin-hyuk called home morning and evening.
Hearing his dad, mom, and little sister Yu-jin's voices made him so happy that he couldn't skip a single day.
On the other hand, training was no fun at all.
To be precise, it was regrettable.
"Hey! Jang Pil-won! Don't you care about your ankle or your toes? Drop and give me push-ups, you punk!"
The head coach, Lee Joo-geun, was from another city's elementary school track team. He had no interest in getting along with the kids—he was obsessed with results. If anything seemed off, he'd curse and hit them.
'I miss Teacher Kim Young-tae.'
Jin-hyuk enjoyed running, but this camp with Lee Joo-geun made his blood boil. He was even questioning the point of the training camp altogether, especially after hearing that the 400m relay team had been selected from another school's track team—one that hadn't even made semifinals at the provincial meet. No one explained why.
'The school was called Daeseong or something.'
They were all just one team representing Chungnam Province, so the short-distance runners were rooming together formally. There was no other reason. Every evening, Lee Joo-geun drove off and came back at dawn, reeking of booze.
'What kind of teacher acts like that...'
If he behaved this way during a camp with kids from other regions, it had to be worse normally. The beatings, the irresponsible absences, the drunk driving—it was probably all routine. Jin-hyuk felt nauseous.
'I want to punch him.'
He'd heard this was the last time they'd select a provincial team to compete like this. Starting next year, schools would compete individually at nationals. But since Jin-hyuk had no plans to compete next year anyway, it didn't matter to him.
"Hey, you punk! Why are you sticking your chin out!"
"You bastard!"
"Ugh, that retard!"
The other athletes, excluding Jin-hyuk, were Lee Joo-geun's own students. They competed in high jump, 800m, and various events, but he cursed at them as a baseline and slapped them frequently. The kids, used to sports since childhood, didn't even look wronged.
'If he lays a hand on me, he's done.'
I'll tell Dad. Jin-hyuk muttered as he watched from afar.
In fact, Lee Joo-geun barely even glanced at Jin-hyuk.
No matter how well Jin-hyuk performed, he wasn't his student. So Jin-hyuk stretched alone, warmed up alone, and no one timed his runs. Lee Joo-geun's attention was only on his regular athletes.
"It's 'cause you're so damn good."
Kim Hee-nam, the 100m rep, said this as they lay in bed. His cheek was still swollen from getting hit during evening practice.
Jin-hyuk just nodded without replying. Seeing the guy's swollen face made him uncomfortable.
'Should I discipline that coach myself?'
Even in his adult life, academy sports violence had been an issue, but coming to the past made it even more horrific. Kids beaten like this probably normalized violence, then repeated it as seniors or coaches.
'Even if I tipped off the press, they probably wouldn't cover it.'
He knew the media's power, but he couldn't predict how adults in this era would view the rampant violence in youth sports. Damn it, even in the past, he knew nothing. His chest felt tight, and he sighed.
"Hee-nam, Jeong Hyun-woo, Jang Pil-won."
Jin-hyuk, who had been quiet for two days straight, called their names. The kids just lifted their heads to look at him, like butterflies peeking out from cocoons to scout the world.
Jin-hyuk asked them.
"You guys gonna keep doing sports?"
"Yeah. I'm going to college for it."
"I'll switch to baseball. Gonna go to a school with a team."
"I'm doing soccer."
Got it.
Jin-hyuk held back from calling their homes. It was an era when parents didn't complain if teachers hit their kids. And if the kids themselves wanted to continue, what was the point of stirring up their parents?
'I'll just live selfishly too.'
In his previous life, Jin-hyuk had gone to school with a bruised and torn-up face. Some teachers and friends asked out of curiosity, but no one cared about his suffering.
Jin-hyuk pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, they head to Daegu.
The payphone booth near the stadium was mobbed.
After a long wait, he finally got to put in his coins.
"Mom, I made it to Daegu fine. Today was 100m and long jump prelims. 200m's tomorrow."
- No motion sickness?
"Nah, I'm good."
- Did you see Dad?
"Dad's coming to Daegu?"
- He's been on the road six hours now.
Jin-hyuk's heart sank.
Six hours and he's not here yet? That means he left at dawn! What if there was an accident? He tried to shake it off, but ominous thoughts overwhelmed him.
"Hey, let's go."
Lee Joo-geun barked curtly, so he couldn't wait around for his dad, who might arrive anytime.
As Jin-hyuk lingered anxiously, he spotted familiar faces—more like welcome ones.
"Teacher?"
"How's Jin-hyuk feeling?"
It was Teacher Kim Young-tae, Park Ji-beom, and Yeom Byung-taek.
They said they often came to national events like this to gain experience. Jin-hyuk said he was fine and asked something more important than his condition.
"How long did it take you to get here?"
"Us? Took almost six hours."
Only then did Jin-hyuk relax a bit.
Roads were bad back then. It made sense for the trip from home to Daegu. Still, he wouldn't feel fully at ease until he saw Dad's face.
"We saw your dad at the rest stop too. He bought us udon."
Thanks for the update, Yeom Byung-taek.
Jin-hyuk entered the stadium with lighter steps.
'If I have to deal with teachers like Lee Joo-geun, this is my last track event.'
So what if I quit track?
I'm living ordinarily, and Dad's rich anyway.
<Ministry of Physical Education Youth Division's 12th National Inter-Provincial Track and Field Championships>
The wind blew strong.
A banner as long as the event name fluttered from the advertising balloon.
Day 1.
Morning 100m prelims.
Jin-hyuk breezed through the 100m prelims. Then he spotted his dad talking with Teacher Kim Young-tae.
'He made it safe.'
The lingering anxiety vanished like it'd been washed away.
Seeing his dad's face after days apart made his nose tingle for no reason.
Clap!
It was after Kim Hee-nam finished his 100m prelim. Like the saying goes, a leopard can't change its spots—Lee Joo-geun ended up hitting an athlete in a corner of the stadium. He must've thought it was out of sight, but nowhere in the venue was truly private.
To Jin-hyuk, it looked like the kid had run to his usual ability. Maybe the coach was gripped by inferiority complex?
"You bastards! All you do is eat and train, and you can't even beat some country bumpkin?"
Lee Joo-geun's voice dripped with raw anger.
Jin-hyuk's talent clearly stung. Lots of eyes were on them, some frowning at Lee Joo-geun's behavior, but no one intervened. Coaches from other provinces were no different. Kids dotted here and there in push-up position—including several girls.
'Dad, I didn't get punished.'
He smiled brightly at his dad and waved, but his dad's darkened expression left Jin-hyuk uneasy.
Day 2 of the meet.
200m prelims and long jump finals.
Once he found his rhythm in long jump, it wasn't hard. How many reps had he done in Gongju, stepping as far onto the board as possible before takeoff? Some days, he'd practiced just run-ups and board steps until sunset.
'Not feeling it.'
It was mechanical, almost emotionless movement.
"6 meters 10 cm."
Chungnam Province took gold in long jump.
Woooah!
Cheers erupted—probably for the 800m athletes whose prelims were ongoing.
"Number 165, Chungnam Province."
People in white caps bustled around, but Jin-hyuk ignored them. He felt indifferent even about the gold around his neck.
'I wanna go home.'
They didn't announce school names. Normal for a provincial team, but he felt bad for Teacher Kim Young-tae, who'd come all this way to cheer. He wouldn't have tried long jump without that teacher. Ignoring the murmurs, he checked his dad and Teacher Kim's expressions in the distance.
Seeing the two adults shaking hands and beaming eased his mind a little.
'I'm getting too sentimental. It's exhausting.'
In his previous life, no one was more pitiful than him, so he felt no pity; being alone was comfortable, so even pretty girls approaching didn't move him. But back in childhood, everything tugged at his heart.
'Hormones, huh.'
Maybe. His clothes were getting tighter by the day anyway. His joints itched, so he was adjusting training volume for balance and coordination.
Day 3.
The kids had avoided talking to Jin-hyuk since yesterday, wary of the coach.
Jin-hyuk, hating the sight of Lee Joo-geun, just glanced toward his dad.
Standing alone amid the crowd felt familiar.
Afternoon: 100m finals.
'Dad! Over here!'
Having someone watching him was pure bliss.
Jin-hyuk grinned, waved at his dad, and stepped onto the track.
Headwind blew fiercely.
Hot gusts battered his forehead. The track sizzled from all-day sun, and summer air scorched. The pressure from the stands and heat was no joke—athletes managed condition in the shade, then puffed cheeks at the start line.
'Last one—might as well run like Chicken Johnson's on fire.'
Looking at Lee Joo-geun solidified his decision to quit track. He excelled at plenty without sports. Part of it was his resolve to live ordinarily.
The starter called over the speakers.
[On your marks...]
Jin-hyuk's final 100m race.
'No regrets.'
At the signal, he planted feet on the blocks. The aluminum frame's rigidity felt novel.
Fingers on the line, knees down. The track's heat synced with his heartbeat. Despite the swelter, the "last time" tension raised goosebumps on his neck. He clenched teeth till his jaw jutted.
[Set...]
He inhaled, locking lungs. Head low like toppling, hips up.
They don't give much time after "set." Yet it feels endlessly long— the most dreaded moment.
But without fail, before fear peaks, the gun cracks.
[Bang!]
Lips sealed, cheeks puffed—no exhale. Left arm and right leg exploded forward.
Whoosh—headwind roared past ears. Stands packed, but cheers drowned in wind. Crowd blurred; only the 1.25m white lanes in view.
An eternal instant.
In ironic time warp, finish line rushed closer.
Squeezing abs to lift legs, landing from toes to thighs straight. Frog-leap unity. Then that leg snapped perpendicular to strike again.
'Ah, running feels good.'
Up, down—unpredictable emotions. Not hating the job, but the people. Office workers and athletes alike.
Huff-huff! Heart pounding to burst, lungs wrung for last oxygen—thrilling Jin-hyuk. Regret fueled resolve. No holding back.
'I'm alive.'
Thwack.
Son Jin-hyuk hit the line first, chest first.
Moments later, results flashed. Nationals-level efficiency.
Rooooar!
Officials and families erupted. Huge gap to second—expected, but not by this margin.
Startled by cheers, Jin-hyuk turned to the board. His eyes widened.
"Boys' Division 100m Korean Record"