Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Glad Mission (4)
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Jin-hyuk and Su-jeong came home without catching any fish, having just played in the water. General, whose swelling had gone down quite a bit after a good night's sleep, was with them.
The ear-piercing laughter of the Seoul kids still rang in his ears.
'Aigoo, playing with kids is the hardest. Couldn't even catch ingredients for fish stew.'
Fortunately, no one minded since the house was stocked with food.
The boiled rockfish caught by the dads, dipped in chogochujang, was exquisite. It was fresh rockfish you could only taste in summer. There was also chicken stew, but they wouldn't touch it until the rockfish was gone.
As always, Yu-jin was the star of the dinner table. Everyone burst into laughter at her wild charm as she tore into a whole boiled octopus.
"Delicious."
Yu-jin, hanging out with Su-jeong, had changed her speech quite a bit. Humans really were creatures of learning and adaptation. It was an amazing change in such a short time.
'With Yu-jin hogging all the attention, it's so relaxing.'
No prying questions—what a relief.
Even Chairman Hong Gi-jun, who always asked about his dreams during breaks, just smiled like a dad while watching Yu-jin.
"Oppa, yummy?"
"Yeah."
But Yu-jin's attention was on her oppa, and her speech hadn't fully changed yet. It would sort itself out with time, so Jin-hyuk was grateful for this much.
"Keurgh, so refreshing!"
Dad Son Gwang-yeon let out a sigh worthy of a Seoul tough guy.
Watching Dad gulp down the broth like hangover soup, Jin-hyuk took a sip of the rockfish stew broth himself.
Keu-.
'What did they put in this?'
He examined the ingredients in the broth from the boiled rockfish. He wondered what magic Mom had worked.
Leeks, onions, minced garlic, whole garlic cloves, radish, cabbage, water parsley, ssukgat...
'The color must be from soy sauce? Or the rockfish ink.'
Anyway, the broth gliding down his esophagus and solar plexus was top-notch. Not spicy, but one sip opened his pores and drew out the body's heat.
The side dishes were just kkakdugi and kimchi, yet he mixed rice and ate five bowls.
He was usually a light eater, but his appetite had exploded like wildfire since his body grew.
Lots of people might call him a big eater now, but Jin-hyuk had his defense.
- "Does Jin-hyuk eat as much as a mantis shrimp or mudskipper?"
Even straight-A student Jo Il-heon had teased him like that, and Jin-hyuk had to agree. The guy had a knack for packing intuition into clear sentences.
"Su-jeong-ah, Dad'll catch a ton!"
After dinner, Hong Gi-jun clenched his fist.
The dads, declaring they'd catch catfish, slung fishing rods over their shoulders and headed to the darkening canal. Jin-hyuk thought they'd use the chicken innards saved from earlier for General, but nope—they were bait for catfish. Jo Il-heon had said cutting them up and knotting both ends made great bait.
'Can those dads really catch catfish?'
Jin-hyuk mentally bet 500 won they couldn't.
They'd probably scare off all the fish with their chatter.
'Might come back early scared of the bullfrogs.'
The moms headed to Han Yu-young's rooftop garden. Yu Se-ra had begged to learn knitting while waiting for break.
With the adults pairing off, the kids played on their own.
Su-jeong spread a picture book in the living room, teaching Yu-jin words.
As Jin-hyuk sat on the porch enjoying fullness, the kids' clear voices came through the screen door.
"Bi-du-di."
"Pigeon."
"Bo-tua."
"Peach."
"Go-yai."
"Cat."
Somehow Yu-jin seemed better.
Jin-hyuk closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. Tension carefully gathered between his brows.
Lately, a string of inexplicable events. He tried brushing them off, but a corner of his mind wasn't at ease.
'Why do these things happen around me?'
His back pain had been like that, and the snake attack too.
His previous life was a wasteland without luck or even coincidence. Now, all sorts of fortuitous encounters popped up to help him. Yet they had no substance.
'Obviously, the one to suspect is me.'
As far as Jin-hyuk knew, the most bizarre, illogical existence was himself.
No one to confide in, and brooding alone wouldn't solve it. So he planned to let it go. But the stray thoughts lingered.
In short, it felt sticky.
'Damn, hit straight by the storm of puberty.'
Brain breathing, dantian breathing. Whatever the name.
Entering meditation, Jin-hyuk emptied his head, lungs, and dantian cleanly.
It was a method he used after returning to maintain composure and condition. It often brought back hazy memories and let him peer into his depths.
Urur-.
Hearing General's warning growl, he perked his ears for footsteps. But nothing.
"General, quiet."
At first, he thought he'd died and gone to heaven. A day later, he knew better. The life after was the ordinary, happy family days he'd always craved. He hugged the bluebird in his arms tight for years.
Even without intent to harm, when he unexpectedly used force, he discovered anger coiled like magma at his heart's bottom.
'Family, my switch.'
Cold fact. The magma in Jin-hyuk boiled to devour the culprit who dared throw stones, even tiny ones, at his family.
Ururur-.
General again. So uncooperative, though Jin-hyuk always marveled. Not just General—other dogs didn't growl at nothing.
"Ait! Buzzkill!"
Exhaling the stuck breath, Jin-hyuk opened his eyes. His dark vision brightened, and General's growling stopped.
"You punk, why the fuss?"
He snapped, then felt sorry for General. Friend who guarded him closest, win or lose. He playfully ruffled General's head, swelling much reduced.
"Who’s a good boy."
This way, that way.
Jin-hyuk was surprised at his own mood swings.
Heh hek-.
Petting General and brushing his fur twisted Jin-hyuk's face comically.
'Not puberty, menopause?'
Counting from his past life age, hitting menopausal storm head-on would be natural.
Few logical human reasons came to mind.
'Body's been too comfortable lately.'
That's why stray thoughts wouldn't leave. He'd heard exercise helps menopause.
Jin-hyuk nodded and grabbed the jump rope.
Adjusting for his height, the front door opened. Kids chattered out. Ominous feeling hit.
"Oppa."
"Oppa."
"Watermelon steawin’ time."
"Watermelon. Frost steal."
That's illegal. Jin-hyuk swallowed it.
That cheeky Seoul brat lured innocent Yu-jin. Refusing would upset them. And he'd vowed to be nice to Su-jeong.
Jin-hyuk reluctantly left the yard for the stream.
'Every break, at least once to the stream.'
Some days like today, twice.
Path he ran daily in elementary, now only for water play or fishing after middle school.
Dark, far from houses.
No streetlights, just the trickle of water.
Perfect for mischief.
Bright full moon made four lives and shadows too visible. Well, vibe for frost-stealing mattered.
Grabbing any melon, a chant from behind froze him awkwardly.
"Oppa, real thief-like."
"Oppa, like real. Thief."
Jin-hyuk sighed.
Nothing easy.
'Aigoo, my head.'
Amid subtle aches past days, inner headache struck.
But kids wanted real frost-stealing, no choice.
Oppa must make kids' memories.
'Then gladly show FM prone crawl.'
I crossed mountains prone!
Reserve pride reared regardless of time, place, foe.
Jin-hyuk dropped low into watermelon field furrow. Perfect low prone.
Lush vines hid him perfectly.
Su-jeong, Yu-jin, and General crawled after. Clueless kids stuck butts high; short-legged General mimicked Yu-jin with butt up.
Dirt on clothes and fur? Whatever. Worry in country, do nothing.
'Heart pounding weirdly.'
Bad deed? Heart fluttered without permission.
"Thump thump."
"Thump thump."
Kids too. Excited enough for heartbeats to leak out. Jin-hyuk fully got adventure-immersed kids.
Mosquitos bit nape, arms, ankles, ears mercilessly. Endured. Ignore mosquitos, can't live countryside.
Picked ripe melon with turned stem.
"Thump!"
"Success!"
Kids cheered victory.
Serious Jin-hyuk held finger to lips.
Hey, quiet. Dying of embarrassment.
Why so thrilled? Kids would remember even this as adventure.
Out to stream, washed melon, sat. Tiny accomplices ringed Jin-hyuk. Faces, hands, arms dirtied and burr-covered, beggar looks.
Beggar king struck melon.
Puk- jjeok-! Hand knife stabbed in. Can't split watermelon without hand knife in country.
Easily split, shared ripe red chunks with kids and General.
Hupchupchup- chwichwichwi-.
"Ah, yummy."
"Ah, so good."
Heh hek-.
Watching them devour juice-smeared faces, Jin-hyuk felt self-loathing. Regressor dreaming ordinary life, using trained body for kids' watermelon theft.
And not just that.
'Who else steals their own field's melons?'
Bittersweet sigh, took chunk.
'Ooh-.'
Otherworldly sweetness.
Jin-hyuk buried face in melon.
'Uhuhuhu. Too good.'
Nearly full moon, bluer and fuller than harvest moon.
Watermelon thieves' bellies bulged too. Under blue moon, dripping juice like partying vampires.
Next year, General's bathroom grows watermelons.
Jin-hyuk licked sweet lips, gazed at bright moon.
'So dazzling.'
Moon symbolizes yin, if ghost possessed, wouldn't it rage more on such night? Maybe recent coincidences caused weird events.
Seeing himself cling to thought, seriously suspected menopause.
Dreamy moonlight.
Moonlit stream ripples stirred extraordinary emotion, soft sheen like legendary cloak blinding eyes.
Nearby stream sounded distant, kids' chatter faded. Even faint mosquito wings trapped in Jin-hyuk's sight.
Watched pale cool light seep in heart. Like misty shattered blue moon glow. Moonlight pierced crown, skull, heart, lower belly, opening senses.
Jin-hyuk clenched jaw.
If not boyish face, full-grown youth pose.
Hand not needed; firm heart throbs felt.
Blue flame of conviction ignited.
Myriad thoughts converged sharp as honed blade.
Strays cleared, agitation settled, mind serene.
'New. Body and mind.'
Lightning struck Jin-hyuk's mind.
This instant, like flipping forgotten history to check secret records, unique being surfaced. Figure from neighborhood adults' chats.
Wiping mouth with sleeve, Jin-hyuk's eyes gleamed.
'Must meet that grandpa.'
Unusual phenomenon, too bizarre for hormones alone; quirky psyche mocking him, sudden serenity.
On brink of madness, only one who could answer.
Finally recalled fairy rock grandma's mentioned living legend.
Shaman grandpa.