Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: A New Future (7)
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"Jin-hyukaaaah—!"
Choi Tae-yang showed up every single day.
He said he'd only come until the training camp construction wrapped up since he had to prep for the college entrance exam too. Apparently, he was part of the last generation taking that old exam.
"Jin-hyuk. He's here again."
Son Gwang-yeon shook his head as he played go with his son.
At that age, kids were usually hanging out with girls or agonizing over career paths, right? Spending time with neighborhood elementary kids struck Gwang-yeon as pretty unusual for a high schooler.
'What an eccentric guy. Wonder who he takes after.'
He could've resented the kid for stealing his time with his son, but kind Uncle Gwang-yeon went ahead and set up a proper ssireum ring in the empty lot behind the house, filling it with sand.
"If you're gonna do it, do it right."
Hearing his own favorite saying come out of his dad's mouth made Jin-hyuk's chest tighten with emotion.
While he was at it, Gwang-yeon even built a long-jump pit for Jin-hyuk. He leveled out a 50-meter run-up path and called over Jo Il-heon to pack it down solid with a backhoe.
Jin-hyuk couldn't turn down Tae-yang's requests and ended up coaching him every time.
'Am I really the right guy to keep teaching this hyung?'
He pondered it for a moment, but eh, whatever. The world had already changed. He figured agonizing over things he couldn't control or didn't know about was a waste of life.
Jin-hyuk did his best to plant Tae-yang face-first in the sand pit. With all that sand, it didn't hurt, and they avoided overdoing it to prevent injuries. It was mostly grappling practice and technique drills.
"Whoa, I can't even win a single round."
Tae-yang stuck out his tongue, but his face was beaming.
After workout, as they chugged milk, Jin-hyuk offered some cautious advice.
"Hyung, don't bulk up your weight."
In the past, Tae-yang had climbed all the way to Baekdu Grandmaster. But from what Jin-hyuk remembered, it hadn't been smooth sailing. Choi Mi-kyeong, whom he'd met in Seoul, often talked about her brother—especially how he kept dealing with knee injuries. Thinking back now on the sad look she'd had while talking about him as a married woman made Jin-hyuk's heart ache.
"How'd you know I was planning to bulk?"
"Everyone knows ssireum players bulk up."
Pure BS, of course. Anyone in a weight-class sport knew about cutting weight. It was just Jin-hyuk worrying about Tae-yang's future.
He sized up Tae-yang's build. Height around 185 cm, maybe. Weight fluctuating around 90 kg. Conservatively, 100 kg seemed ideal.
'He's already Geumgang or Halla level in peak condition.'
Probably figured his upper-weight struggles were due to not enough mass rather than skill. So he kept packing on pounds until he hit Baekdu Grandmaster and even challenged for Cheonhajangsa. Overshooting his ideal weight likely wrecked his joints. Age would've added natural bulk too, of course.
Anyway, Tae-yang looked less like a wrestler and more like a long-limbed, muscular model.
"Wanna become Cheonhajangsa?"
"Isn't that every ssireum player's dream?"
Join a pro team, snag a solid salary, win tournaments, make a name. Jin-hyuk could imagine it even without being one himself, so he nodded.
"Win with technique. Get too heavy, and your joints'll give out."
"Your joints look fine, though."
"I'm young and light right now."
Jin-hyuk let out a deep sigh. Changing a stubborn person's mind was no easy task, and he racked his brain on how to convince him.
Heave-ho—.
General, lapping up some milk, sighed along with him.
"My coach said the Cheonhajangsa tournament rules might change next year."
"How so?"
"Everyone who wants in can enter, even lightweights. Just something I heard through connections, so not confirmed..."
Jin-hyuk had no clue, naturally.
He wasn't into ssireum, and aside from Tae-yang, he only vaguely remembered a few big names.
Still, it rang a bell. They lifted restrictions on challengers, right? Even so, lightweights didn't swarm in and cause upsets. Weight gaps in ssireum were that absolute.
'With his frame and power...'
He could probably compete without over-bulking. Hadn't he risen to Cheonhajangsa from Halla Division—not even Baekdu—and gained fame?
Jin-hyuk poured his leftover milk into General's bowl and stood.
"One more hour."
"Huh? Isn't that your running time?"
"Special training."
Tae-yang followed without complaint.
How many times did they roll in the sand?
Tae-yang shook sand from his hair.
"Grab-and-twist feels weirdly confusing."
"Once it's muscle memory, it's not hard at all. Same as inside cradle. You're mixing it up 'cause you can't read your opponent's shifts in time."
Tae-yang usually relied on power and stuck to simpler moves. Jin-hyuk figured struggling with others was par for the course.
"You gotta lose your balance first to spot the reactions..."
Whoops. Jin-hyuk scratched the back of his head.
In judo, you let yourself get thrown to drill techniques, but he'd been teaching without ever taking a fall. No wonder Tae-yang was confused.
Heh-heh. Couldn't help but chuckle.
"Ahem! Well, I didn't ask to ssireum first anyway."
He'd gotten pretty shameless.
Finally taking after Dad's personality.
"Fair enough."
"From now on, I'll take the techniques."
"Suits me fine. But where'd you even learn ssireum?"
"Well..."
Yeah, where did he?
Living alone, he'd just watched holiday ssireum tournaments closely because his friend/oppa was competing. That mixed martial artist guy Bang Sap said he learned from action movies—maybe Jin-hyuk was similar.
'Doesn't explain the strength and speed, though.'
Jin-hyuk scratched his head again, at a loss for words.
"Jin-hyukaaaah—! Let's ssireum—."
Contrary to their initial deal, Tae-yang showed up with his ssireum pants even after the training camp construction finished. He never forgot to bring milk either. Jin-hyuk said it wasn't necessary, but he insisted it was lesson pay. Probably got hooked since Jin-hyuk kept taking falls to teach techniques.
"Go wild—no worries about the sand!"
Gwang-yeon, Han Yu-young, Yu-jin, and even General were loving it.
With two wrestlers going at it daily behind the house, they had entertainment.
"Oh my—look at that. Tae-yangie's got a Rambo bod."
"Well, if I stripped down—"
"Pfft—."
"Kyahaha— Dad, Mom just pfft-ed you!"
Wife and daughter alike. First time in life Gwang-yeon got shut down by a woman.
He's gonna sulk. Gwang-yeon hugged his knees.
Whump!
Jin-hyuk's legs flew up as he flopped spectacularly.
"Kyahaha! Oppa lost? Ate dirt? Hyung won?"
Yu-jin laughed no matter who fell.
'For Mi-kyeong's sake, gotta do my best as his partner.'
Jin-hyuk gave it his all as Tae-yang's sparring opponent.
Half a day on weekends, an hour on weekday evenings.
Even into fall.
"Jin-hyukaaaaaah—! Noooow—!"
Mi-kyeong at school, Tae-yang at home.
Even winter.
"Jin-hyukaaaah—! Achoo—!"
General no longer budged from his doghouse when Tae-yang arrived. Just shot him a "that guy's back" look.
'Does this hyung have no friends? Construction's done—why keep coming?'
Still, having someone to chat and work out with made Jin-hyuk happy.
Hong Gi-jun spent more time on business trips to America and elsewhere than at home.
Even at home, he was up at dawn for international calls.
"...We'll discuss it again later."
Something about talking details in person, sounded like.
Then why drag out a 30-minute call at this hour?
'Isn't that how women are?'
Yu Se-ra, woken from sleep, rubbed her neck and blinked her puffy eyes. Bed empty beside her—husband glued to the phone in the living room. He'd started an investment firm—what was he investing in so hardcore?
'Was he always this fluent in English?'
On their honeymoon, he'd hidden behind her. Oh, wait—Germany and Italy, so yeah. Top uni grad, had to be at least that good. Se-ra shrugged it off.
After months of study and research, she'd finalized plans for a talent nurturing foundation and sports agency. Blamed it on juggling hotel and department store work, but truth was, paper and text put her right to sleep.
"Hmm... doesn't look like much up close."
She said, then—sniff—nosebleed everywhere.
The new year brought elementary graduation at last.
On a windless day, the banner strung taut at the village hall gleamed in the sun.
'Yongsa Division... was Tae-yang-hyung a hero?'
Slaying the demon king and the princess too?
Gwang-yeon's car hummed smoothly, carrying Jin-hyuk who muttered nonsense.
Early February, but the sunlight was warm.
Warm enough for graduation on the playground instead of classroom.
[Son Jin-hyuk—.]
His name rang out repeatedly. Diploma, then awards.
Top grades, perfect attendance, school development, service—excellence in every subject, plus scholarship from the village elders. Over five photo albums as prizes. Gwang-yeon, who'd printed tons of pics, grinned ear to ear flipping through them.
[Um-um—. Make sure to study hard in middle school with your big sisters and brothers. Um—, once you're middle schoolers, wash up better... Um-um—.]
Jin-hyuk's face softened into a dad smile listening to the cute underclassman rep's address.
After, Jin-hyuk stepped to the podium.
His turn to speak for the 30 graduates.
[Hello.]
His clear voice boomed over the speakers, silencing the buzzing playground. Not the most social guy, but mics never fazed him. Presentation-honed poise—call it gravitas.
[...We are frail beings confined to tiny worlds. This school was the smallest of them. But because it existed. Because of our friends, siblings, teachers. In this safe, cozy world. We stayed happy, and for that indescribable gratitude...]
Calm delivery, emphasis on key points. Body memory from practice.
Kang Jin-su grinned goofily; Yuk Seong-chan twitched his nose.
Mi-kyeong gazed proudly at her childhood friend.
Nine-year-old Hong Su-jeong came with her parents too.
"Oppa, congrats—!"
Su-jeong thrust a bouquet at him and hooked her arm through his. Then shot triumphant looks at his female classmates. I'm a Seoul girl, smooched him too—smug as could be.
Jin-hyuk had shot up past Mom over winter break, but Su-jeong was tall for her age too. Still looked every bit the little kid.
"Su-jeongie's here? Aww, so cute."
Mi-kyeong patted her head, then grabbed Jin-hyuk's free arm.
Su-jeong spun away, stifling tears of frustration.
And so, a perfectly ordinary graduation ended.
'The world's changed.'
Jin-hyuk felt anew the shift in the winds around him.
Unfamiliar, yet warm.
He drew a deep breath.
Family and the Hongs—all eyes on him.
He took them all in.
'Feels good.'
How long had he dreamed of this scene?
Everyone gazing with loving eyes, soft smiles on their lips.
A new future.
Gwang-yeon broke the moment, arms wide to gather everyone.
"Alright—graduation calls for jjajangmyeon!"
"Seoul kids don't do jjajangmyeon for graduation anymore. Tonkatsu it is."
Village bumpkin now, huh? Don't even know that? Gi-jun chuckled teasingly.
Jin-hyuk's face drained white.
'Tonkatsu's dangerous!'
He hastily retied his sneaker laces.
Gwang-yeon and Yu-young doubled over laughing.
Gi-jun had no idea why, but friends laughing meant good times.
"Let's snap a pic here before we go."
At the school gate, Jin-hyuk halted the family.
Grad families lined up at the quaint rural school gate.
Jin-hyuk waited his turn with his.
Congratulations on Your Graduation
Narrow gate, barely wide for a van.
The short banner felt all the homier for it.
Gi-jun took the camera.
School name backdrop: Mom and Dad arm-in-arm on Jin-hyuk's sides, Yu-jin in front. General—insisted on by Jin-hyuk—posed beside her. Head-on, body angled: ice-dog angle.
"Okay—say cheese. One, two—."
Jin-hyuk was happy.
Happy enough to grin wide.