Chapter 143

Between Delusion and Conception (4)

Moon Seok-il gritted his teeth tightly.

“It’s not hard. If we can’t save it, we’ll just make it.”

Making a bomb wasn’t a big deal. It’s just that we didn’t make it because we didn’t need it.

Without realizing it, he blurted out a firm statement in response to the provocation that hit his pride. But there’s a difference between not doing something even though you can and not being able to do it because you lack the ability.

“Don’t do it.”

His tone was firm. Moon Seok-il’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Moon Seok-il was still afraid of Jin-hyeok. There was also the contract with the grim reaper-like figure behind him, so if Jin-hyeok strongly demanded it, he had no reason to refuse. But still, no means no.

Moon Seok-il was inwardly surprised.

‘This is unusual. Have we gotten closer?’

He had always been in the position of fulfilling Jin-hyeok’s requests, but this time, for the first time, he felt like he was scolding him like an adult.

Jin-hyeok sank deep into his seat without answering.

He was the type who didn’t care what anyone said, but it was strange how he shrank back when an adult spoke firmly.

But there are things you just can’t give up on.

‘If we block both lanes at dawn and just collapse the bridge, it should work. It’s going to collapse anyway.’

If he just left it alone after being told not to do it, wouldn’t that just cause another mess?

It was something he couldn’t do alone, so he asked Moon Seok-il for help, but got scolded.

Jin-hyeok kept his mouth shut.

It’s because people with different levels of information can’t have a proper discussion.

‘Plan B is out the window.’

Well, even if he said, “Let’s just destroy the bridge since it’s going to collapse anyway,” who would believe him?

Ah! There’s one person.

The plan itself was a terrorist plot, and if carried out, it would clearly be seen as an anti-state terrorist act, so it was obvious no one would step forward. But Hong Ki-jun is different.

Jin-hyeok finally realized it was time to have a frank talk with Hong Ki-jun.

‘How should I bring it up?’

The car, filled with silence, sped along.

Jin-hyeok furrowed his brows as he pondered how to approach Hong Ki-jun. He needed to be careful because he didn’t know how his words would affect Hong Ki-jun.

‘He didn’t know everything either.’

From Jin-hyeok’s perspective, it seemed Hong Ki-jun didn’t have disaster information. If he had known, he wouldn’t have deliberately neglected the disaster. Hong Ki-jun had far more social influence than Jin-hyeok, so he believed he could stop it in a more upright manner.

But some of the tragedies Jin-hyeok couldn’t remember still happened, and the media criticized the lack of safety awareness, calling it a man-made disaster. The behavior of those wearing the hat of the media didn’t matter. What always weighed on his mind were the victims of the accidents.

Every time, Jin-hyeok shed tears of blood in his heart as if it were his fault.

‘I’m sorry.’

For not remembering.

This was also just a waste of emotional energy, not out of concern for others. Jin-hyeok drew that line himself.

Perhaps it was the guilt over the accidents he couldn’t prevent, but Jin-hyeok’s expression remained dark the whole way back.

Then, before he knew it, when he arrived home, his mouth unconsciously stretched into a smile.

“Oppaaaaa-!”

Yoo Jin, with her messy hair and dusty clothes, came running, waving her hands. Even though she was washed every morning and evening, Yoo Jin looked like she had been rolling around in the mud by the afternoon.

***

Sizzle-.

Jang Jin-nam made pancakes because Moon Seok-il had come over.

Dressed in a T-shirt, shorts, and an apron, his bulging biceps skillfully handled the spatula.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s delicious. Much better than what my mom makes.”

The pancakes, made with flour batter, sliced zucchini, and peppers, were so delicious it brought tears to his eyes. Maybe it tasted even better because he had been mentally tormented by Jin-hyeok.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean. Tell me what brings you here.”

When Jang Jin-nam tapped Moon Seok-il’s shoulder with his fist, Moon Seok-il’s body swayed like a sandbag. It was a strength befitting his size.

After finishing a bowl of makgeolli, Moon Seok-il cautiously shared his concerns.

“Senior Jang…”

Yang Gang-wook was undoubtedly Son Kwang-yeon’s man, and Min Yong-rak was Hong Ki-jun’s employee, but they weren’t close enough to share concerns. Besides, they were just kids.

His friend Jeong Sang-tae had a loose tongue, so the information he could share was limited. That’s why he chose Jang Jin-nam.

After hearing Moon Seok-il’s concerns, Jang Jin-nam rolled his stiff shoulders and neck. It was a stretching motion, but his serious expression reflected his grave state of mind.

“He’s been acting a bit strange lately.”

“What should I do?”

“That’s your problem, Seok-il. You’re too tied down. You’re like an uncle who does everything he’s told.”

Moon Seok-il couldn’t reveal the contract with the shadow that demanded he move according to Jin-hyeok’s orders, so he just nodded. It was true that he was tied down.

“No matter how bad he is, a world where a child lives alone is broken. Think about what happened to our toys when we were kids.”

“Well, what…”

They were more likely to break from being played with and getting bored than from durability issues. Sometimes we even burned them for fun.

“Kids who channel their overflowing energy and mischief outward are easier to handle. But Jin-hyeok is an enigma. Those kinds of kids turn into perverts later.”

“Huh?”

“Listen more. When I was Jin-hyeok’s age, I found it fun to look at dog butts with a magnifying glass and a stick.”

“…”

Moon Seok-il’s eyes darted around as he rolled the hot pancake in his mouth. He came to Jang Jin-nam because he thought he’d get sick if he kept it to himself, but maybe he came for nothing. What’s the big deal about a dog’s butt?

“But after I got bitten by a dog, I got over that. Since then, I’ve been scared of dogs.”

I don’t know why he’s telling this story, but it doesn’t suit Jang Jin-nam. Even now, Jang Jin-nam goes around with dogs just fine. But why the dog butt story…

“Kids need scary adults to keep them from going astray. They learn to be conscious of others and to be careful. In my case, a dog did that for me.”

“Are you telling me to become a dog…”

“Did I give you alcohol for nothing? I’m not telling you to bite or bark. From what I see, Jin-hyeok has no one to fear. His parents don’t get angry, so he’s not scared, and he’s not the type to cause trouble, so he doesn’t care about others.”

Ah, so what are you trying to say? Moon Seok-il’s chopsticks nervously tore at the pancake.

Jang Jin-nam sighed.

“Report it. To the vice chairman. Reality is scarier than delusion.”

Moon Seok-il’s ears perked up.

Ah, I’ve been keeping it quiet because of Jin-hyeok’s request, but maybe I should sneakily report it?

I’m human too, so I’d care about the person who pays me, right?

***

The fading Sunday was regrettable.

Jin-hyeok sat on the porch with Yoo Jin on his lap. To anyone, they looked like an adult and a child. Jang Gun-i and Hong Shi stayed by their side, while Cheon-ma and Gwang-ma followed Jang Jin-nam, who went to deliver pancakes to Cheon Gil-ryong.

“Where are your eyes? Here-, where are your ears? Here-.”

The little hands feeling her brother’s face while singing were adorable. The comfort from the soft hands of the child seemed to melt away the day’s fatigue.

Even though she probably learned songs at kindergarten, Yoo Jin preferred the songs her mom sang to her when she was a baby.

“Oppa, oppa, come here- look at this-.”

Jin-hyeok held Yoo Jin’s waist to keep her from falling, laughing like a fool as she sang a few more songs. She still felt more like a daughter than a sister. Her sparkling eyes and lark-like singing made Jin-hyeok happier than any music.

Jin-hyeok loved hearing her melodious voice and often asked her various questions.

It was when Yoo Jin finished her song.

“Do you like mommy or daddy more?”

Oops.

One of Jin-hyeok’s least favorite questions slipped out unconsciously. He used to wonder why people asked such questions, but now he was doing it himself.

“I like oppa the most. I like oppa the best.”

Yoo Jin answered without hesitation.

Hehehe-.

It wasn’t a logical answer, but there couldn’t be a better response in this situation. What’s the use of success? With a chick-like sister who likes her brother the most, the world holds nothing to envy.

“Our baby, is there anything hard at kindergarten?”

“Hmm…”

He thought she’d say no, but she seemed to ponder for a moment.

Could someone be bullying her? A shadow fell over Jin-hyeok’s face.

“They don’t give us lunch.”

“Huh? Lunch?”

But that’s the same for elementary school kids, right?

Besides, kindergarten only has morning classes, so there’s no need for school meals or lunchboxes.

“Yoo Jin, do you want to eat at kindergarten?”

“On picnic days, we ate kimbap with friends. It was fun.”

What to do.

He couldn’t delay the pickup time, and packing a lunchbox wasn’t feasible.

Nowadays, there are more office workers, but most locals are engaged in farming or fishing. There are no academies or after-school classes, so young children don’t have proper hobbies or skill development activities after school. Fortunately, the undeveloped area allows kids to play in the fields and mountains like Jin-hyeok did when he was young, but it’s undeniable that they’re not keeping up with the changing world.

‘After-school classes…’

They said they’d start construction on a new cafeteria at Yeodong Elementary School during summer break. The student population has increased, and residents’ requests have made the school closure discussion a thing of the past. Then, maybe introducing after-school classes could improve the educational environment, which is considered inferior compared to city kids.

‘There was a big gap between me and the town kids back then.’

When he was forcibly transferred to a town school, Jin-hyeok was quite shocked.

‘Was it Jamberry or Jammin? What did they call it? Ah, what was it?’

Kids bragging about being Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, wearing uniforms, and carrying Taekwondo, piano, or computer academy bags were a cultural shock.

With the increasingly rapid pace of change, the gap must be even worse now. It’s the same between big cities and rural towns, and between towns and the countryside.

Jin-hyeok nodded as he added another idea.

“Yoo Jin, starting next semester, oppa will make sure you can eat at kindergarten.”

“Really? Promise?”

Yoo Jin’s eyes widened as she looked at her brother.

Her messy, grimy appearance and sour smell from sweating somewhere didn’t matter; her eyes shone like stars.

Jin-hyeok lifted his sister by her armpits.

“Of course! When have you ever seen oppa lie?”

“Yay! I’m so excited!”

Yoo Jin spread her arms like an airplane and laughed until her eyes disappeared.

Yes, seeing this is why I decided to live diligently.

He carefully put her down and kissed her cheek. So what if she looks like a beggar and smells a bit? She’s the most beautiful life in the world.

“My pretty baby!”

She’s not really my baby, but that’s how Jin-hyeok feels.

Wow, how am I going to marry her off?

Jin-hyeok fell into an untimely worry.

“Yoo Jin, who are you going to marry?”

“I’ll marry oppa.”

No… I promised to marry Soo-jeong.

“Oppa will marry me too, right?”

“Uh…”

What should I say?

Team leader Son Jin-hyeok, who confidently presented his opinions even in front of the group chairman, became a mute with honey in front of a kindergarten student.

*

He pushed Yoo Jin, who wanted to play more with Jang Gun-i, into the house.

“Yoo Jin, you smell. Stop playing and go wash up.”

“Okay. Hehe-.”

As Yoo Jin scratched her head and went to find her mom, Jin-hyeok went to find Min Yong-rak.

Weekends weren’t Min Yong-rak’s working days, but since Jin-hyeok didn’t rest on weekends either, he decided to feel just a little sorry.

Tap-tap-tap.

Min Yong-rak typed what Jin-hyeok said into the keyboard. It was a document creation program developed by Saein Computer. Although it hadn’t reached commercialization yet, Jin-hyeok thought it was quite well-structured. If compared, it was similar to the future MS Word.

But the typing speed was too slow.

“Why don’t you just write it by hand?”

“No. I need to practice to improve.”

“Okay.”

Jin-hyeok resisted the urge to snatch the keyboard and type himself. He had to cooperate for the sake of skill improvement.

There must have been a consideration for Min Yong-rak’s growth when Hong Ki-jun sent him. Even for a very minor skill. Jin-hyeok knew that too, so he waited for Min Yong-rak to figure things out on his own. Without interfering with Min Yong-rak’s methods.

Min Yong-rak was skilled in strategic thinking. Although he took responsibility for losing a consumer compensation lawsuit as the former legal team leader, no one thought it was entirely his fault.

The lawsuit was handled by a law firm, so it was the litigation team’s capability issue, and the fault came from the company, so the cause was on the company. Min Yong-rak just happened to hold the poisoned chalice at a bad time.

“Hmm, so… you’re saying we should build three single-story buildings on the site and fill them with research personnel?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Min Yong-rak didn’t forget to add the opinion that young and talented individuals should be nurtured for the future.

“But the method is the problem? Well… even though the vice chairman is excellent in that area, he doesn’t like just throwing out opinions. You know that, right?”

I know, I know.