Chapter 193

<Slowpoke (3)>

*

“The house is really nice.”

“It’s big but still cozy.”

Hwang Ga-yun and Hwang Ga-young couldn’t stop talking as they entered the house.

Their expressions showed that they never expected such a mansion in the countryside, and they even seemed to feel a sense of alienation, as if they had stepped into a medieval castle standing on a desolate cliff.

Jin Hyuk found their reactions of surprise and wonder unfamiliar. It was an emotion he had never experienced. He knew how to envy friends who enjoyed small affections, but he was a cynical person who didn’t particularly admire material things.

“Unnie, try this on.”

“Ugh-, you’re busy taking care of the kids, why are you bothering with me too-.”

Despite her words, Kim Eung-nyeo was quite touched as she took the cardigan Han Yu-young had knitted. The little girl Kim Eung-nyeo used to comb hair and teach knitting to in high school had now become a mother of three and was taking care of her unnie.

“Looks like my luck is about to change······.”

“Unnie, that’s nonsense. Don’t say such things.”

“Alright, alright.”

Hwang Ga-yun hesitantly approached Son Kwang-yeon, who was watching the scene with a pleased expression.

“Um-, President.”

“Oh, come on. What’s with calling me President in front of your uncle?”

Son Kwang-yeon, who had been fidgeting with Jeong Won’s hand as he slept, pretended to be annoyed.

Hwang Ga-yun had been hired as a researcher at General Farm.

In a backward regional company where applicants were scarce, Son Kwang-yeon was so grateful for her choice that he felt like bowing in thanks. After seeing his wife’s joy at the news of Hwang Ga-yun’s hiring, he felt even more grateful.

“Um-, Uncle. I heard during the interview, but I’m curious about something.”

“Sure. What is it? Tell me.”

“The company housing in town. Can my family live there too?”

Oh-ho-ho-. Son Kwang-yeon burst into a hearty laugh.

“Of course, your mom and sister should move in too. That’s what family is about.”

“That’s great,” Hwang Ga-yun muttered, tightly holding her sister’s hand.

“Our company’s benefits are pretty good. Probably better than Sein Group’s.”

It was only natural.

General Farm’s welfare system had been designed by Jin Hyuk, who had worked at Sein Group in the future. Even Hong Ki-jun sought Son Kwang-yeon’s advice.

“Living in an apartment will be convenient too. The company bus starts from the apartment parking lot.”

Will Ga-yun be commuting more often with In-rang? Son Kwang-yeon tilted his head, stroking his sweater, and glanced at Kim Eung-nyeo, who seemed at a loss.

“Sister-in-law, you can live comfortably now.”

“Oh my-. I’m grateful and embarrassed······.”

Kim Eung-nyeo trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Jin Hyuk, holding the sleeping Yoo Jin, sat on the sofa and simply observed.

People who couldn’t fully express their emotions under moderate tension.

‘My heart feels a little itchy.’

It felt like watching a race between two turtles, where the tension made his palms sweat. Surprisingly, it wasn’t suffocating because he could glimpse their psychology.

That’s what ordinary humans who know how to control their emotions look like.

The sisters’ expressions as they toured the house showed no trace of envy. It wasn’t much different from Yoo Jin’s wonder during the General Farm tour, and their innocence was so pure that it was a joy to watch.

‘Everything seems well-organized.’

Every time he saw them, he felt reassured, but only now did he truly feel relieved.

Even though no one was wary of him, he had worried and agonized alone several times.

The deep-seated distrust of humans within him acted as a hindrance, preventing him from easily opening the door.

‘It’s my personality, that’s all.’

No more doubts or suspicions arose about Kim Eung-nyeo’s family. His mind was at ease, and no warnings came from the top of his head.

Since his mother wanted it, there was no reason to oppose, and now he felt he could fully accept them as family.

*

Like a malfunctioning robot, Hwang Ga-young, who had been circling near the fish tank, approached.

Hwang Ga-young, sitting on the sofa, brushed Yoo Jin’s forehead. Then, glancing around cautiously, she whispered just loud enough for Jin Hyuk to hear.

‘Isn’t an apartment expensive?’

Hwang Ga-young’s eyes, trembling as if frightened, asked cautiously.

Oh my, this country bumpkin.

Jin Hyuk quickly suppressed the laughter threatening to burst out.

Even though she was about to enter college after taking the college entrance exam, she still acted like a scared little girl. At least, she had spent every morning building a bond with her siblings before the vacation, so she seemed comfortable around Jin Hyuk.

Well, how much could a twenty-year-old know about the world? Even Jin Hyuk at that age couldn’t grasp the size of the world he had stepped into.

To comfort Hwang Ga-young, Jin Hyuk spoke softly.

‘Since it’s the countryside, land prices aren’t high, and the construction company where my dad knows the president built it.’

The president of Sein Construction was someone else, but there was no need to explain in detail.

That didn’t mean the construction cost was low or exceptionally cheap. Hong Ki-jun was the type to add his own money but keep transactions transparent.

Jin Hyuk just wanted to ease Hwang Ga-young’s mental burden.

‘Many companies in rural areas provide housing. Some companies even provide housing in Seoul.’

Though it’s a minority, some companies do that as a special perk.

‘You know a lot.’

Of course, I know a lot.

I lived in company housing until I got my own officetel.

It was an apartment that could hardly be called company housing. It was a house Hong Soo-jung, the executive, had secured for Jin Hyuk separately. Using company funds.

While the adults enjoyed refreshments separately, Hwang Ga-young stayed by the sleeping Yoo Jin and Jeong Won.

“They’re so cute. I love them so much.”

Even though they weren’t her biological siblings, she was thrilled to have an aunt and cousins. Thanks to her sister’s job, she could now leave the tea house. Hwang Ga-young would stay at the apartment during vacations and had relatives and neighbors to visit during holidays.

“I never envied other friends. But now that I have this, I’m so happy.”

“Think of it as an admission gift.”

“That makes sense.”

Jin Hyuk was feeling similar emotions.

On top of that, the lingering resentment he alone had seemed to have washed away, making it even better.

“But Yoo Jin sleeps so soundly. Jeong Won keeps fidgeting with his limbs.”

“Yoo Jin made a snowman this morning.”

“In this weather?”

“If it weren’t for the weather, she wouldn’t sleep. She’s full of energy. She must be tired from the wind today.”

Jin Hyuk glanced at Kim In-rang, sipping citron tea at the dining table. It seemed this uncle hadn’t mentioned that he caught a cold playing with Yoo Jin. Male pride, perhaps?

“Yoo Jin is only seven, but she’s so tall?”

“She’s grown a lot since she started school.”

Yoo Jin’s physical condition is better than when her brother was in third grade.

She eats well and sleeps well, so it makes sense.

The family’s situation has also improved beyond comparison to when Jin Hyuk was young.

“It’s fascinating to see kids up close like this.”

Jin Hyuk smiled.

Even though he had watched them grow from birth, the children’s growth was still unbelievable.

‘When did this kid, who couldn’t even open his eyes and just ate, slept, and pooped, grow so big?’

Rolling over, crawling, standing on two feet. Before he knew it, he was running around.

Is it because it’s time to send her to school? The image of his younger sibling growing up flowed like a panorama.

The more videos he recorded and replayed, the more the past memories blurred and eventually lost their three-dimensionality.

Like a forgotten tale from a distant land, Jin Hyuk’s past life became a dry timeline, reduced to points of events and lines of time.

From nine to sixteen years old.

Now, Jin Hyuk’s film has been replaced with a new one.

‘What did I do on the first day of the new year when I entered high school?’

Did I deliver newspapers?

Hwang Ga-young’s voice pulled Jin Hyuk’s wandering mind back to the present.

“What’s the secret to Yoo Jin being so tall? I’m so envious.”

“She’s full of energy. Must be stimulating her growth plates.”

Yoo Jin still runs around until she’s exhausted.

Looks like she’s going to grow a lot before starting elementary school.

Yoo Jin, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly frowned.

Jin Hyuk and Hwang Ga-young held their breath, but it didn’t seem like they had disturbed her sleep.

“Ugh-. Mija, Mija-.”

Maybe she’s having a nightmare about a tentacle monster.

Yoo Jin did eat a lot of stir-fried jellyfish.

Jin Hyuk had to catch jellyfish even in December, wearing a chestnut seller’s hat.

Not to boost his dad’s courage, but because jellyfish had captured the whole family’s taste buds.

He sometimes wondered if he was wasting his superhuman physical abilities, but there was nowhere else to use them.

In a world without adventures of defeating monsters and saving princesses, without wars of territorial expansion or power struggles across continents.

Excessive strength beyond moderation is just unnecessary excess. He would become the monster and the target of overthrow.

“Ugh-. Mija-.”

Jin Hyuk chuckled, imagining Yoo Jin struggling in the grasp of a giant jellyfish tentacle. He used to fear nightmares and even guarded his dreams, but now he found himself making comical imaginings.

‘Oh no, once it starts, the associations keep coming.’

Even after seeing off Kim Eung-nyeo’s family in Kim In-rang’s car, Jin Hyuk’s imagination continued.

Son Yoo-jin, the butt villain, chased by a division of jellyfish.

“Mija-, Mija-. Oppa, help me-.”

Ah, Yoo Jin.

You have to handle your own dreams.

No.

I can’t help you.

Go back.

“Ugh-.”

Yoo Jin, lying on the sofa, stretched her arms into the air, flailing.

Should I hold her little hand?

As he took her small hand, Yoo Jin also gripped his hand.

Poof-.

“Hehe-.”

Nya-.

Hey, you’re not asleep, are you?

Wow! The smell is amazing.

***

What’s the best part of winter vacation between middle school and high school?

The long break? No extra classes?

“No homework, so awesome. Hehehe-.”

At the end of the year and the beginning of the new year.

Choi Mi-kyung, a teenager on vacation, lived like a mole in her burrow.

With several high-performance computers, she could play games and use the internet Jin Hyuk had taught her, making this place her paradise.

“Jin Hyuk. Manga.jp? Can I download this?”

A black background monitor with a fluorescent green frame and red text inside.

Leaning over to check Choi Mi-kyung’s monitor, Jin Hyuk quickly snatched her mouse.

The blinking prompt, like a devil’s tongue, seemed to urge her to press enter.

“That, that’s not good.”

“Why? It’s a manga, right?”

Not that kind of manga!

Jin Hyuk had also downloaded it out of curiosity and spent several nights tossing and turning, feeling uneasy.

Even though it was black and white, it was the kind of manga Yeom Byeong-taek would like.

Jin Hyuk had to soothe his troubled mind with meditation, repeating the mantra of peace like a flowing river.

Fortunately, even without .JPG, Choi Mi-kyung had plenty of entertainment.

“Shinobi is boring. It gets hard from here.”

Yet she played that game every day.

“Karaoke accompaniments are so outdated.”

Yet she sang every day.

True to her Gen X roots, Choi Mi-kyung mastered all the top 10 songs, singing with passion until her voice gave out.

Still, her singing was pleasant, so Jin Hyuk often stopped what he was doing to listen.

Choi Mi-kyung didn’t just play solo.

There were plenty of people to play with.

Tatatatadadadak-!

When playing Tetris with Min Yong-rak, the sound of keyboards being smashed was heard.

“Stick! Stick! Give me the stick! Ahhh-! Damn Soviets, die!”

“Ugh, my ears.”

Min Yong-rak’s left hearing had weakened, so he used his right ear when talking to his girlfriend. He considered switching seats but decided it was better to preserve one ear.

After enjoying various activities, Choi Mi-kyung moved on to the final step.

Choi Mi-kyung, lying down reading manga, called Min Yong-rak in a hoarse voice.

“Ahem-. Ahem-. Uncle Yong-rak, no new Young Jump?”

Her voice sounded like a heron’s cry.

“The one you’re reading is the latest.”

“Ah, what a shame.”

The mole’s den was filled with manga and magazines Min Yong-rak never missed.

On a cold winter day, how could one give up the happiness of lying on a warm floor, peeling tangerines, and reading manga?

“Eat this while you read.”

“Wow! Uncle, you’re the best!”

Jang Jin-nam provided snacks like tteokbokki and fried food that teenagers loved, making the mole’s den irresistibly addictive. Comparable only to the smell of a summer wristwatch strap. Sniff sniff- that lingering smell.

‘Could it be? Is the mole’s den the origin of PC rooms?’

Choi Mi-kyung looked so happy in the mole’s den that Jin Hyuk couldn’t help but suspect.

She often lounged around the mole’s den, even taking naps, as if solving her lodging and meals there. With friends around, she came to play every day without fail, eating and sleeping comfortably. Like a bear hibernating in winter.

Of course, her brother’s shadow, Yoo Jin, was always by her side.

Click-clack- as her brother typed on the keyboard, Yoo Jin crawled over.

“Oppa, are you p-, p- programming?”

“Hmm-. You could say that.”

If you’re typing on a keyboard with a programming language textbook open, isn’t that programming?

If not, whatever.

“What kind of programming?”

“Well······.”

Hello, world!

If you type what the book says, that’s what comes out.