Chapter 61
Chapter 61
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Growing Pains (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Children's voices leaked out from inside the house.
"Ttet-tte-tte— riding the morning sea to the far geese—."
"Ehehehe—."
It was Hong Su-jeong playing hand-clapping games with Yu-jin. Every time she lisped, they burst into laughter, so she belted out the "Sse-sse-sse" song with full confidence, knowing her dads weren't watching.
Jin-hyuk bit his lip hard to keep from laughing, but he couldn't control his nostrils flaring on their own.
Kk-eup—!
'That was close.'
Hwi-yu—.
The moment he stepped outside, he let out the laughter he'd been holding back in a long exhale.
Jin-hyuk presented the watermelon punch he'd prepared for the dads' hangover cure on the porch platform. It was watermelon soaked in honey, topped with honey water and floating rice cakes—Hong Gi-jun's favorite snack, one he could never get from Yu Se-ra.
Anyway.
The bet, which had escalated stakes without any real tension, ended anticlimactically with Jin-hyuk's victory.
"Gwooooh—! That hits the spot!"
Hong Gi-jun, downing the watermelon punch on the porch, eyed Jin-hyuk with bloodshot eyes.
"Leave it to your uncle, and I'll make it grow."
"If Dad says it's okay."
"What's there to say or not say? It's your money now, so Jin-hyuk decides."
How rich was Dad that he could hand decision rights over thirty million won to his middle school son?
The money Jin-hyuk had put in was only a million won anyway.
Dad had shelled out nearly twenty million on his own.
This was unfair.
"I didn't even put in much—."
"Your uncle'll add ten million more."
"Perfect. Then keep Jin-hyuk's allowance as is."
Aigoo.
In the blink of an eye, he'd squeezed twenty million each out of his two dads.
Handing over enough for two luxury sedans to a middle schooler like it was nothing—could this really happen in a normal world?
Rich people were impossible to understand.
Was the bet just an excuse to give money to Jin-hyuk after all?
But they didn't have a reason for that, did they?
"Dad's grateful, that's why."
"Uncle too."
Not knowing what they were grateful for, Jin-hyuk mumbled vaguely before finally just going along with it.
It was easier on the mind to think the rich guys were doing it for fun anyway, and above all, he wasn't even interested in the money.
"How're you gonna invest it?"
Curiosity got the better of him, so he asked straight out.
They weren't going to buy Sein Electronics or Da-jeong Electronics stock, were they?
Best to buy in 2005 and sell in 2020. Ah, but since Jin-hyuk's group wasn't around this time, maybe the stock prices would differ.
"Leave it to us. Even this is a secret from your uncle."
Hong Gi-jun winked.
Why did guys wink like that? He couldn't even do it right.
His eyelid twitched like he was magnesium deficient.
Anyway, since they'd grow it with their own money however they wanted, Jin-hyuk had no desire to assert rights and just nodded.
"Jin-hyuk, what's that tree over there?"
What Hong Gi-jun pointed to was a tree in the ridge between the yard and field—short but casting a decent shade. General was coiled under it like a snake.
"An oak tree."
"Doesn't it seem a bit out of place?"
It did. Jin-hyuk muttered to himself.
It had been there over two years, but he'd just let it be. Letting things be felt natural, didn't it?
Uncharacteristically thick and short trunk for an oak, but the leaves were ridiculously broad. Probably thanks to the nutrient-rich soil, they were a dark, murky green.
"Why's it there, I wonder...?"
"Washed down in the monsoon rains?"
Seemed like men of all ages had a knack for fueling curiosity over pointless questions. Except Jin-hyuk.
The two dads started spinning hypotheses, competing with each other.
"Maybe aliens planted it?"
"Or acorns with legs?"
When the alien seeding theory and legged acorn theory came up, even Jin-hyuk let it slide.
Aliens sounded plausible enough to him too.
"Or maybe acorns just spawn in the air? Like elemental combination."
"Maybe our General carried it and planted it. That guy's a pro at digging with his snout."
When they proposed the spontaneous acorn generation theory and General the farmer dog theory, Jin-hyuk just looked up at the sky.
Rain, please.
That's when the savior appeared.
"Jin-hyuk's daaad— whatcha doin' out front? Aigoo, the Seoul boss is here."
"Hahaha. How've you been, President Choi?"
Hong Gi-jun eyed Choi Jang-hwan and his companion with meaningful glances.
It was a yellow Jindo dog.
Grrr—.
General bared sharp teeth and let out a low warning growl.
"General's popular but picky, so we brought our Hwang-gu to pair 'em up. The smell had our Hwang-gu goin' crazy."
Choi Jang-hwan flashed his usual affable grin.
Most folks got companion dogs they bonded with, but guard dogs tied in yards were usually large breeds. Medium at smallest. Choi Mi-kyeong's Jindo Hwang-gu, Lee Jae-young's Tosa Doku, Yuk Seong-chan's weird mutt Merry—the list went on, but large breeds dominated guard duty.
Everyone knew that.
General was the typical big-eared, long-furred mongrel. Not many wanted pups from a mutt like that, so no neighbors had tried matchmaking. Village mutts thus enjoyed free love untethered.
But Choi Jang-hwan was mistaken about one thing.
'Plenty mess with General.'
It wasn't that General was unpopular as a mutt and couldn't have pups. Neighborhood mutts, strays, even loose large breeds pestered her and ended up bleeding as they fled. Always glued to her side, Jin-hyuk knew full well.
Jin-hyuk inwardly snorted and sized up the yellow dog.
Clumps of fur missing from tail, neck, ears. Clear bite marks. Even on a brave, nimble Jindo. Sharp eyes said it was definitely General's handiwork.
Besides what Jin-hyuk fed her, General roamed snatching others' dog food—not stealing, but intimidating and beating the owners into surrender. What started as fights turned to tribute. Dogs slunk away at her saunter. That's how she conquered the neighborhood.
Vet Park Bu-ro's "lion-level" assessment was spot on.
The yellow dog's wounds were likely dog-food related too.
Living closest, it got the most visits. Jin-hyuk could picture it pestering food-stealing General and getting thrashed.
'General's the boss dog. The queen.'
Jin-hyuk, who liked small cute things, had secretly hoped for pups. But General preferred romping with him and Yu-jin over romance. So he'd let her live freely as she wished. Pups or not.
Kkiing—.
Jin-hyuk hoped General would stand proud inwardly. She was the boss, after all.
But the wary, teeth-baring General tucked tail and backed away as Choi Jang-hwan approached.
'Neighborhood dogs fear Mr. Choi.'
Jo Il-heon had said it was the blood scent on him. He always butchered chickens, pigs, cows at village feasts, so it stuck. True or not, even brave General cowering made it believable.
Watching General whine into the house, Jin-hyuk's heart bled. He'd prefer barking and fighting over this weak display—first time seeing it.
General rolled big eyes pleadingly at Son Gwang-yeon and Jin-hyuk.
As Jin-hyuk couldn't hold back and stepped up—
"Brother, I'll handle it."
Son Gwang-yeon took the leash from Choi Jang-hwan.
Grinning at his son for some reason.
"Good boy General? Come here. Chu-chu-chu—."
Still his owner; General glanced pitifully around and stepped out. Accepted the collar meekly. Even then, eyes begged Jin-hyuk.
'Any other time, she'd bolt.'
General lived collar-free.
Always trailed her owner, slept under the oak when full. Could escape anytime. Yet she didn't when Choi brought the yellow dog.
'Because we were here.'
Some things didn't need words. Long togetherness let you read tiny cues. Jin-hyuk vaguely knew her thoughts: trusted owner protection, or protecting owner from the intruder.
Choi Jang-hwan drove stakes by General's house, looped both leashes.
Like setting a bridal chamber, he gestured kids away from the door.
"Whoa now, kids away."
Hong Su-jeong and Yu-jin peeked out, curious about the commotion.
"Oh my, how embarrassing. That guy's standing there watching with arms crossed?"
Yu Se-ra grumbled at Hong Gi-jun outside. But no husband-bashing. Always work-obsessed, she wouldn't nag on his rare break.
"Jin-hyuk's mom, will General be okay?"
"Kk-euk—."
Han Yu-young, slicing melons, let out air through her teeth.
Laughter laced with ridicule.
"General must be five or six by now."
"Thought she was a baby 'cause she's so pretty. Makes sense—it's been four years since I saw her."
Here for land stuff, bonded with this family. Time flew. Ten-year-old Son Jin-hyuk now taller than her husband; slow-to-talk five-year-old daughter now in school.
Han Yu-young speared a melon slice for Yu Se-ra.
"If she's adult, she should've had a litter or two by now."
"Maybe infertile?"
Yu Se-ra muttered sullenly after a bite. Having struggled for her own daughter, she empathized.
"Dunno, but other dogs are too scared to approach."
Han Yu-young's face was that of a triumphant general. Could seem arrogant.
How scary could that tiny thing be? Yu Se-ra couldn't fathom.
Then—
Kker-georng— kker-rng—!
A raucous screech mocked Yu Se-ra's assumption from outside.
Jin-hyuk now knew why Dad had stayed so relaxed.
General, who'd hidden in her doghouse fearing Choi Jang-hwan, bit the yellow dog's nose when it sniffed around.
Son Gwang-yeon knew her exceptional nature too.
'Aigoo, that yellow dog's hurting.'
Probably followed its owner.
Arrr—! Walf!
General didn't stop—turned and chomped the fleeing tail solidly.
Kkae-gaeng—!
Jin-hyuk rubbed his forehead. Glad General stood firm on pride, but sorry for closest neighbor.
'Still, our General's the best.'
Brave and proud, just like her name.
Hong Gi-jun, eyes narrowed thoughtfully, stroked his chin.
"These guys... maybe embarrassed with so many eyes on them?"
Ah, this reservoir-ice uncle was no help. Timing for General's release now. Still, not wrong—General was perceptive. Maybe throwing a tantrum from shame.
"Then leave 'em here, I'll fetch tomorrow. One day rest—."
Su-cang dogs go to winning owner. Choi Jang-hwan claimed unborn pups and left.
'Yeah, hang in there, yellow dog.'
Jin-hyuk cheered it on entering the house.
Didn't know who he was really rooting for, but wanted pups.
Orange sunset draped yard and living room.
Jin-hyuk paced by the living room window, worried for General.
Yellow dog sat facing Choi Mi-kyeong's house, resenting its gone owner.
'Why's that dog butt look so lonely.'
General hadn't poked her nose out since entering. No bloodshed thankfully, but total avoidance vibe.
'Can't read General's mind.'
What's so hard about it?
That pleading gaze begging rescue was still vivid.
Maybe General preferred playing with Jin-hyuk and Yu-jin over dog friends. Made her all the more admirable and endearing.
'My bad upbringing. All we did was run around daily, so she's not into romance.'
My fault.
From tomorrow, read her The Art of Love from the third-floor study.
Well, Jin-hyuk knew zilch, so theory lessons couldn't hurt.