Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Glad Mission (2)
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The blood-eyed viper is known mainly for absorbing poison from the toads it eats in autumn and storing it in its body. That also means its venom is relatively weak in summer. If dealt with calmly, even a small child might avoid serious danger.
What a load of crap!
As if anyone could stay calm in that situation. Could a kid picking flowers remain composed after being bitten by a massive snake? And from a guardian's perspective? The one bitten was his precious little sister. Jin-hyuk's heart was probably pounding harder than Yu-jin's ever could have.
Jin-hyuk grew anxious. Still, he couldn't charge off alone, so he carefully pulled Su-jeong toward the water's edge.
After confirming the toothless General was steady on his feet, he rushed to Yu-jin.
Yu-jin was astonishingly calm. She had simply plopped down with wide bunny eyes, not wailing or throwing a fit. His always-smiling sister was maintaining her composure even now—it was impressive.
"Yu-jin! Stay right there!"
Grrrr... whine!
General seemed even more urgent.
He'd grabbed the snake's tail and was shaking it furiously when it bit the bridge of his nose. Even with fangs embedded, General crunched and thrashed the tail with lion-like ferocity.
Jin-hyuk bolted over and snatched the tail from General's jaws, gripping it tightly. The snake's slimy texture was gross, its patterns menacing. But Jin-hyuk wasn't one to back down.
The snake reared its head toward him.
His arm struck first—and faster.
Yulmegi, sorry, but you're gonna die.
Jin-hyuk swung the snake like a flail in a full arc.
Crack! The blood-eyed viper's head slammed into the hard ground. Right on its vital spot. Even a graze could kill it there if unlucky. With Jin-hyuk's superhuman strength, its skull burst open. The viper—called Yulmegi back home—went limp like deflated rubber and died on the spot.
"Yu-jin!"
He left General rubbing his nose on the dirt in agony and ran to his sister. Even though only seconds had passed since safely setting down Su-jeong, it felt eternal to Jin-hyuk.
The moment he reached her, he checked her ankle.
"Let me see."
Tie it above the wound now and suck out the venom...
Jin-hyuk's eyes filled with bewilderment as he examined Yu-jin's ankle.
No wound?
There were blood drops and a clear liquid that looked like venom.
But no bite mark.
What the hell happened?
He checked Yu-jin's face.
Tears streamed down, but her eyes were clear as she looked at her brother.
"You okay, Yu-jin?"
"Yeah... hee hee hee."
She was even smiling at him. Thinking it a dream, he checked again multiple times, but she was fine.
Jin-hyuk went to General. The dog sat still, perhaps numb to the pain. He huffed softly, nudging the snake corpse with his nose.
His nose bridge was swollen like a bee sting, but breathing seemed okay.
Like this?
He yanked a fang from the corpse and sniffed it. Back in military days, he'd handled venomous snakes; venom itself was odorless, but focused sniffing revealed a faint fishy smell.
Soon, Jin-hyuk's brow furrowed.
How am I supposed to tell venom from snake stink?
Couldn't apply every fact perfectly in the field, it seemed.
Even his heightened senses gave no certainty.
He irritably tossed the fang away.
His mind blanked from sheer bafflement.
"Yu-jin, it didn't bite you?"
"Nope! Hee hee hee."
Seeing her bright smile, Jin-hyuk finally relaxed.
He could tell that much himself, and his eyes confirmed it.
Then why the scream and tears?
He almost asked, but stopped. Kids freak out just seeing snakes; no big deal. Plus, Su-jeong was hugging Yu-jin, eyes teary. Probing further might make the little one feel guilty.
Jin-hyuk reconstructed the scene from behind him.
Yu-jin spotted the snake, screamed in shock, and fell.
General bit and shook the tail to protect her.
So the liquid on her ankle was...
Does the blood-eyed viper spit venom like a cobra?
Sizzle?
Reconstruction hit a snag.
Maybe it was just saliva or tears.
Bracket that question and move on.
But whose blood is it then?
Still messy.
Couldn't run a DNA test in an open field.
No one to consult with. This sucks.
For the first time in ages, he felt lonely.
Telling Dad would just spark alien tales and wild theories.
"Good thing no one's hurt. Let's go home."
"Yeah... hee hee hee."
Su-jeong helped Yu-jin up. She brushed dirt off Yu-jin's clothes while sniffling, then checked the younger girl's palms for scrapes. Such a good kid.
Jin-hyuk hurled the snake corpse far into the reservoir and herded the kids home.
Whew... I'm beat.
Drained dry.
His ragged breathing wouldn't settle. He'd stayed cool using violence earlier, pulse steady. Yet one snake nearly burst his heart. Family in danger, sure, but still.
To calm his shocked heart and reassure the kids, he sang.
"Toothless Dojang, don't go to the brookside."
"Or the crucian carp'll bite your nose."
Su-jeong, still shaken from the snake attack, sang along.
What did Dojang even mean? Mom sang it to toothless kid Jin-hyuk long ago; he never knew the words. Dojang or Dojang-gu? Who cared.
Whatever.
Jin-hyuk alternated glances at Su-jeong and Yu-jin, each holding one hand. They'd been scared but weren't freaking out, walking bravely beside their big brother. So impressive.
"Oppa, whatcha gonna be?"
Dojang-gu looked up at Jin-hyuk's face intently.
Seeing the kid still reeling, Jin-hyuk chuckled softly.
Normally he'd ignore it, but after her big ordeal, better be sweet.
"That what you're wondering?"
"Uh-huh. Daddy said 'cause Oppa's a genius, you can do anything."
"I do everything I can but try to live ordinarily. Dad says living normally is the hardest thing."
With family and no lacks, Jin-hyuk had no big ambitions. No bullying others or being bullied. Tending a garden, exercising, fishing—peaceful life sounded good.
"Gonna live normally?"
"Yeah, Su-jeong."
"Then I'll live like that too."
Here with Oppa, Su-jeong muttered alone.
A sniffling sound came from Dojang-gu; Jin-hyuk looked, eyes still watery. Tension released, replaying the scare. Or guilt over her vacation homework causing it.
Impressive kid all around.
Su-jeong and Yu-jin would grow through stuff like this.
"Su-jeong, don't feel bad."
Su-jeong nodded silently.
Looking at her little head, Jin-hyuk felt sorry.
She always shows interest in me.
Past or present, he hadn't reciprocated. Used to ignoring others, but Seoul Dojang-gu deserved special treatment.
What to ask now?
"What do you wanna be when you grow up, Su-jeong?"
"Hee hee."
Dojang-gu grinned gummy-toothed, embarrassed.
He could guess; she was shy to say.
Rephrase.
"What kind of person do you want Oppa to be?"
"Yeah, yeah. Famous. Yeah, and rich."
Su-jeong's dreams were simple.
If Oppa got famous enough to brag to friends and gave more allowance than Mom Yu-se-ra took, that'd be enough. Someone who handed out 10,000-won bills freely.
Jin-hyuk furrowed his brow and shook his head sharply.
Famous?
Doesn't match me at all...
Maybe that's why he kept distance in his past life too.
Yu-jin toddled well; Su-jeong still sniffled occasionally from shock.
Jin-hyuk soothed Su-jeong by patting her head.
Protecting someone's tough.
Bullying's easy, though.
Huff... huff...
General's breathing sounded off.
Nose swollen huge—funny but worrying.
Snake venom? Bacterial infection?
Swelling crept upward, probably blurring vision.
"Yu-jin, wanna touch General?"
"Yeah. Like this? Touched."
"Yeah. That's good."
Testing the 'Yu-jin magic hands' theory one last time, but nope—normal baby hands. Petting changed nothing; swelling persisted.
Pity and guilt surging, Jin-hyuk scooped up General.
Whoosh-whoosh. He wheezed like a snake.
Whine. Occasional whimpers too.
Come to think, first time seeing General hurt.
Won't beat a Tosa, but bares teeth and stands proud.
General was Jin-hyuk's responsibility.
Yet he failed to protect him.
Steps home felt as heavy as his heart.
Back home, he checked sleeping Yu-jin repeatedly. No wound, color normal. Sleeping so soundly, snoring and drooling.
"Should I spray some pesticide?"
Gwang-yeon, hearing the snake attack, wore a rare grave face. First rural days: freaked by leeches, blood drained seeing snakes. Now shrugs them off, but memories still shook his hands.
"Where you off to, Jin-hyuk?"
Gwang-yeon snapped to at his wife's call to their son.
Jin-hyuk, in a straw hat, held a bucket and net.
"The stream."
Gwang-yeon jumped like startled.
"Stream? Hunting snakes? For booze?"
...Not just surprise.
Jin-hyuk's intent was obvious.
Flower-booted Su-jeong sneaked up and grabbed his hand.
"Fishies."
"Kuh! Su-jeong wants fishies."
Jin-hyuk clutched his abs, stifling laughter at her speech.
Stream teemed: fingerlings to palm-sized, countless species.
Mom made fish porridge from his catches—blissfully unforgettable.
Fish porridge with somyeon noodles and makgeolli... ahh.
Slurp.
Gwang-yeon wiped drool.
Remembered no pesticides: snails, loaches, crucians from fields and streams. Tasty stuff.
Gwang-yeon thought snakes lives too—don't kill needlessly.
They earned their ecosystem spot.
Snakes innocent.
Seeing sturdy son and bouncy Su-jeong, Gwang-yeon smiled.
Maybe Chairman Hong envisioned that for the kids.
"Whose dog is that, though?"
A scruffy, bulldog-ugly mutt trailed Jin-hyuk's heels.