Chapter 7

One chilly day, the wind grew even colder.

As usual, Jin-hyeok ran all the way home without stopping.

“Janggun-ah, I’m home.”

Janggun, the dog, only perked up his ears and ignored him, staring blankly at his empty food bowl.

‘He’s avoiding me on purpose.’

It felt like Janggun was being cautious, as if he might growl if they made eye contact.

Well, fair enough. After all the fish guts he’s been fed, a dog with any pride should be giving him the cold shoulder.

“I’m hooome!”

“Jin-hyeok’s back?”

Mom was grunting in the storage room.

Worried, Jin-hyeok rushed over and saw her trying to move the millstone. It was too much for her frail body. Jin-hyeok quickly stepped in.

“Ouch, it’s heavy! Let’s lift it together!”

“Ugh, it won’t budge. Even with both of us, it’s not moving. Let’s wait for Dad to come and help.”

Mom wiped the sweat from her forehead and straightened her back.

Following her gaze, Jin-hyeok noticed the cleanly washed beans on the floor.

She must be planning to make tofu.

‘Mom’s tofu is the best.’

The finished tofu was delicious, but the real treat was eating the freshly formed tofu with just a spoonful of seasoning. Even without the seasoning, the slightly bitter yet nutty flavor was perfect for a child’s palate.

In his past life, he had missed that taste so much that even after turning forty, he searched for famous tofu shops, but none could replicate it.

“Mom made steamed cornbread. Wait a bit.”

“Wow, that sounds delicious.”

It looked similar to the cornbread sold on highways or in markets, but the taste was different. The cornbread steamed in a cauldron was the best snack money couldn’t buy.

Jin-hyeok swallowed his drool and pretended to lift the millstone.

Clunk.

‘Why is it lifting?’

Strange things kept happening.

First, Janggun suddenly growling, and now lifting the millstone with one hand…

If he told Mom he lifted the heavy millstone alone, she’d be shocked.

Jin-hyeok quietly put the millstone down.

‘What’s going on?’

They say a young prodigy can lift a millstone, but was I that prodigy?

In his past life, he never had to use much strength. He wasn’t exactly a strongman. As a child, he never had the chance to show off his strength.

“Jin-hyeok, come eat the bread.”

“Okay!”

Jin-hyeok ran to the sink to wash his hands and face.

He didn’t want to catch a cold and worry Mom, so he decided to stay clean.

As he chewed on the cornbread, he pondered.

The lively, mischievous Son Jin-hyeok of the past was gone. In his place was a middle-aged man who had lost his drive and decided to retire. The personality inside Jin-hyeok had worn down, losing the excitement only a child could feel.

He sighed deeply.

Even on the day he went fishing, he acted maturely instead of throwing a tantrum like a child.

‘Throwing a tantrum would make me cringe. I’m not a kid anymore.’

Though others saw him as a child, knowing his soul’s true age made him reluctant to act like one.

Ah, so it’s because I’ve grown old. Jin-hyeok swallowed his thoughts along with the bread.

Boom! A loud noise came from the storage room.

At the same time, Mom flinched and hunched her shoulders.

“Oh my, Dad! What was that sound?”

Oops, the millstone must have been placed crookedly.

*

Jin-hyeok and Son Kwang-yeon sat quietly on the floor, watching the magical process of tofu being made. They looked like new recruits in front of a female officer.

At first, Kwang-yeon took the millstone, worried about his wife’s delicate arms. But after exactly two and a half turns, he was dismissed from the task.

Seeing her husband’s dejected look, Han Yu-young smiled.

“You need to turn it with consistent force and speed. That way, the tofu will be smooth and tasty.”

“Got it. I’ll correct myself.”

“Help with something else.”

Following Yu-young’s instructions, the two men moved quickly.

Jin-hyeok filled the cauldron with water and lit the fire in the stove.

Kwang-yeon collected the brine from a corner of the storage and presented it to the officer.

“No, not here. Bring it to the stove.”

“Got it!”

Jin-hyeok thought it was a good thing Dad never went to the military. He would’ve been beaten a lot.

Yu-young slowly stirred the tofu curds with a clean stick.

“The speed of turning the millstone and stirring the cauldron is very similar. Is there a reason for that?”

Kwang-yeon, who had little military experience, asked with a serious tone.

Yu-young chuckled as if amused.

“No reason.”

“The steam from the cauldron gathers on your face. Is that the secret to your beauty?”

“Oh my.”

Dad might not be as skilled as Jin-hyeok, but he was excellent at flirting. If he had served as a GP soldier (broadcasting to North Korea), his shamelessness would have made the North Korean army grind their teeth.

Watching Dad flirt with Mom, Jin-hyeok thought,

‘Good timing.’

Slurp, slurp.

Feeling the warmth from the stove, the three of them enjoyed the tofu.

“It’s so delicious…”

Even Janggun seemed to like it, burying his snout in his food bowl.

***

The autumn sports day at the rural elementary school was held later than in the city. It was to accommodate the busy farming season and encourage parents to attend. So, it usually took place after the harvest. Sometimes it was held just before the rice harvest, but this year, for some reason, it was delayed.

Later, he heard through the grapevine that it was because someone had pushed for it to coincide with the 1987 presidential election campaign. It was a great opportunity to gather voters, the parents, for electioneering. So, the rural schools got pushed back.

It was just a rumor, though. The truth was hard to confirm.

Anyway.

The countryside had a lot of land and houses spread far apart. People rarely saw their neighbors, so bringing packed lunches and fried chicken to the sports day made it a real festival.

Even the merchants, who usually sold toys and cosmetics, came from afar, not wanting to miss the event. The small playground was packed with people, young and old.

‘Wow, this is what a sports day is like.’

In his past life, he would hide in the shadows during sports days or picnics.

No one paid attention to him, and no one invited him to join. Occasionally, friends would share their kimbap, but Jin-hyeok always kept to himself.

‘Haha, Mom and Dad seem more excited than me.’

Seeing his parents enjoying themselves, Jin-hyeok felt his heart flutter.

Who would have thought he’d get to see such happiness again?

However, the other adults in the village didn’t seem to view his parents favorably.

The rural men. They gave Kwang-yeon and Yu-young uncomfortable looks. It was understandable; they were rough and blunt people, after all.

‘Why are they holding hands?’

‘How embarrassing.’

Listening to the couple’s conversation, he felt the kimbap he ate for lunch coming back up. It was a village where even the children spoke in thick dialects, and terms of endearment between couples didn’t exist.

“Oppa, it’s the men’s tug-of-war turn.”

“Honey, it’s the women’s turn for the three-legged race. Go have fun.”

Unlike the men, the women looked at Jin-hyeok’s mom with envy. Whoever this couple was, they were acting like a scene from a youth movie.

Kwang-yeon and Yu-young held hands tightly as they walked around the school.

To Kwang-yeon, who had only lived in Seoul, the single-story rural school building was quaint. To Yu-young, who grew up under a strict father, enjoying the festival with her husband and son was pure joy.

“Should we buy that toy for Jin-hyeok?”

Dad asked in a gentle tone.

“No.”

Jin-hyeok frowned and firmly refused.

“Why? It looks fun. It’s a jeep with a missile launcher.”

The toy Dad pointed to was a mini military jeep with a rocket launcher. Dad’s pockets were deep after getting a good price for the beans.

‘Does he think I’m a kid?’

Besides, it wasn’t even a car, just a toy jeep.

In his past life, he had amassed billions but never cared about cars. Now, with a middle-aged man’s mind in a nine-year-old’s body, toys held no appeal.

‘This is already more than enough.’

The past, no, the future had changed.

Just by saving his parents, Jin-hyeok’s sorrowful life had disappeared. Now, he had only one desire.

‘I want to live quietly and peacefully in this countryside.’

His future dream.

Recently, his class had a survey about future dreams. Jin-hyeok wrote “farmer” and submitted it. The teacher and classmates all laughed. Most kids wrote “president” or “scientist,” but the top student wanted to be a farmer.

He didn’t have to become a farmer. He just wanted to live happily with his family for a long time. He had already experienced enough loneliness in his past life.

‘I want to live with my parents in my hometown.’

He had made enough money and experienced how lonely and fleeting life could be. He could invest in future information with his honed knowledge and skills, but he had no interest in that.

‘Money will come when it’s time.’

Dad’s warm hand. Jin-hyeok looked at his dad’s hand holding his, then met his dad’s eyes. Dad smiled brightly at his son.

Jin-hyeok’s heart warmed.

‘Wow, this is happiness!’

Everyone would agree that his dad was the best in the world.

Jin-hyeok smiled awkwardly as he looked up at his dad.

Beep.

The microphone noise grabbed everyone’s attention.

[The final event of the sports day, the relay race, will begin shortly.]

The announcement came from the first-grade homeroom teacher in charge of the event.

“Wow, this will be fun. Let’s go watch the relay.”

“The relay is always the best, right? Hoho.”

The grand finale of the sports day. From fourth to sixth grade, students sat in an oval shape around the track. The track was just a green nylon rope nailed to the ground, but it was enough for the sixth-grade representatives to run the relay.

“Wait a moment…”

The physical education teacher, Park Jae-seung, muttered as he crouched near the starting line.

He rummaged through his pockets, pulled something out, and raised a hammer above his head.

“Ready…?”

His gaze turned to the two athletes in the starting position. In front of hundreds of spectators, the tanned rural teacher’s eyes shone with professionalism.

A brick on the ground, a paper firecracker on top, and a hammer aimed sharply.

It was a last resort since the starting gun had malfunctioned.

A whirlwind swept through the middle of the field.

One of the athletes nervously wiped his nose with his sleeve.

Finally, Jae-seung swung the hammer down with force.

Crack!

Oops, he missed.

“Ah! Ah! Try again! Don’t go. Come here, come here.”

No false start.

Just a faulty signal.

“Deep breath…”

With renewed determination, he took a deep breath and swung again.

Bang!

The sound of the starting gun echoed.

“Blue team! Blue team!”

“White team, win!”

Jin-hyeok’s mom and dad cheered for the blue team because Jin-hyeok was on it. Watching Mom clap and jump like a child and Dad punch the air, Jin-hyeok chuckled.

“Will Jin-hyeok run when he’s in the upper grades?”

Thump.

Imagining his parents cheering for him made his heart race.

‘Running…’

Even in his past life, when he had nothing to hold onto, running made him feel alive.

*

On the way home after the sports day.

Dad carried Jin-hyeok on his back. Mom held the notebook Jin-hyeok won as a prize in one hand and supported his bottom with the other.

“Mom, Dad.”

“Yes? Our son?”

“What is it? Our Jin-hyeok?”

Could one answer bring so much happiness?

Jin-hyeok scrunched his nose and then relaxed it.

“I wish I had that wristwatch.”

Dad felt a pang of guilt.

The son of the richest landowner in the village didn’t have a wristwatch like the other kids.

“Dad will go to town and buy you a nice watch with hands.”

“Yeah, they say watches with hands are good for kids’ brains.”

Mom chimed in.

But Jin-hyeok had something else in mind.

“A digital watch. It doesn’t have to be expensive.”

Even a cheap digital watch would have a stopwatch.

It would help with running.

“Okay. Dad will buy you a digital watch. One that glows in the dark.”

He’s going to get one of those rare glow-in-the-dark watches.

Dad never tried to change Jin-hyeok’s decisions, which was good.

“They say kids won’t sleep and just stare at the watch under the covers…”

“Haha, that’s just a phase.”

How long can you stare at just numbers?

What simple parents.

If I showed them a smartphone, they’d faint.

‘Maybe there’s a smartphone somewhere in my body.’

Jin-hyeok rummaged through his pockets just in case.

An acorn fell out.

Mom had put it in his laundry pocket when changing his clothes.

‘Status window! System!’

This kid must have read too many web novels. The nine-year-old Jin-hyeok muttered to the middle-aged Jin-hyeok.

While others used future knowledge and opportunities to amass wealth, Son Jin-hyeok came back with only useless memories.

‘No special perks for this regressor.’