Chapter 107

“<The Rise of Jin-hyeok (4)>”

*

– “You’re too good to rot in the military. It’s not that you don’t fit in the military. It means you’ll succeed in whatever you do. Think about it again. If you still want to serve longer, come see me.”

The battalion commander, tearing up the long-term service application, had warmth and regret in his eyes. Jin-hyeok had chosen the Special Forces, a place with few people and where exhaustion brought deep sleep. It was also a place where he could save his entire salary. He felt regret. It was the most comfortable place to sleep soundly.

Though regretful, he was also grateful that his value was recognized. He wasn’t afraid of stepping out into the world. He had earned enough to support himself for a while.

Snap!

He saluted the commander. It was the first time Son Jin-hyeok had smiled slightly since his parents passed away.

‘Thank you.’

He didn’t want to go back to school.

He couldn’t see himself sitting in a crowded classroom again. Some classmates had reached out, but Jin-hyeok, leaving behind his gratitude for the college friends who hadn’t forgotten him, stepped into society.

Yang Gang-wook.

Perhaps because of him, Jin-hyeok had met Hong Soo-jung in the past and could live a personally successful life.

*

There was no need to wonder why Yang Gang-wook, who should have been in the military, was here. The world had changed as much as the years that had passed. Jin-hyeok was just glad to see him.

From what Jin-hyeok remembered, Gang-wook was the most soldier-like man.

He was smart, warm, and tougher than anyone.

Gang-wook had a habit of saying to his agents:

– “Be proud of your comrades. I envy you all for having such reliable warriors by your side, whom I can trust.”

He had said he felt lonely because no one understood the meaning behind his words.

Jin-hyeok didn’t miss the flicker in Gang-wook’s eyes. He truly understood what it meant to sway someone with just a word.

‘You haven’t changed.’

It felt a bit odd to say he hadn’t changed since his youth, but he was a man of clear and consistent beliefs.

The security service must have scouted him by showing him a list of outstanding talents. Seeing them, his heart must have wavered. It wasn’t hard to understand Gang-wook’s feelings. He was smart but had simple emotions.

The feeling of having the military, which protects family and land, all gathered together, and the satisfaction of the last puzzle piece falling into place, made Jin-hyeok’s tension slowly ease.

Jin-hyeok picked up a soccer ball.

“Team leader, want to play foot volleyball?”

“Ah. Ah-.”

Gang-wook slowly stepped back, his face turning red.

Jin-hyeok’s lips curled up on their own.

‘Seeing him back off, it’s definitely him.’

Gang-wook was a developer.

Jin-hyeok also bowed to the other bodyguards. Though not as much as Moon Seok-il, their presence was intimidating enough that ordinary people wouldn’t dare approach. Even the comrades Jin-hyeok had served with in the past would seem like regular soldiers compared to them.

After leaving a word of thanks, Jin-hyeok carried Yoo Jin and headed to the waterway construction site.

“Little one, I’m sorry.”

Yoo Jin stared at her brother as if asking what he was talking about.

The cement mixing incident was the final straw. He realized they had left Yoo Jin alone too often, using busyness as an excuse. Though her mother played with her, the absence of her father and brother, who used to play with her energetically, must have been felt more strongly.

‘I overdid it, even though I’m not the one doing the construction.’

He had become too immersed in the site because of the regret of seeing their playground change.

Jin-hyeok had also played alone until his father brought Jang Gun-i. He had hoped his sister wouldn’t feel lonely, but in the end, he hadn’t been able to take care of her, so he couldn’t help but feel sorry.

“It seems like it’s almost done. Just the waterproofing left, right?”

“Almost done, right?”

Yoo Jin, not seeming to mind, followed her brother’s words as usual.

Though the term “waterproofing” sounded grand, all that was left was compacting the ground and adding water to prevent massive water loss from the waterway. Jin-hyeok requested the construction manager to add more gravel and sand and plant grass before filling it with water. The waterway embankment was built with stone, and if they just took care of the bottom, they could expect to see clean water. Of course, over time, it would get murky as silt and clay flowed in.

– “Won’t the grass die in the water?”

– “It won’t die.”

– “How is that possible?”

Because it’s grass.

He had seen a report in the past about weeds planted decoratively in an apartment complex pond that survived underwater. The areas with grass had better water quality and provided hiding spots for fish, earning positive feedback from residents. A quick fix had unexpectedly led to praise.

The dredging was nearing its end, as evidenced by the constant coming and going of dump trucks.

Though the scale was small compared to power plant or large apartment complex construction, the amount of soil dug up was enormous.

‘By the way, digging up reclaimed land is so inefficient.’

Is this also a professional habit? He chuckled, thinking of his old team leader Son Jin-hyeok’s obsession with efficiency.

Standing where the urethane track would be laid, he looked at the seawall blocking the sea. The waterway reached the lagoon connected to the sluice gate. If they just broke that embankment, seawater would mix in during high tide. Then they could see mullet and carp swimming together.

‘I should go fishing with Dad.’

They used to fish for gobies, standing the whole time even when their legs hurt, massaging them while fishing. The thought of sitting in a fishing chair and enjoying the leisure made his mouth water.

Yoo Jin interrupted her brother’s happy imagination.

“Brother, what’s that?”

“Huh?”

He turned his body in the direction Yoo Jin pointed.

The sports facility construction was in full swing. Later, they would enclose it with walls and have only one door facing the track. It would be nice to watch the sunset over the waterway through the windows installed in several places.

“Multi-purpose-.”

What’s a simple way to explain a multi-purpose sports center to Yoo Jin?

“You can run, lift weights-.”

“Weights?”

“Yeah, weightlifting or free weights-.”

“What’s that?”

Despite his detailed explanation, Yoo Jin didn’t seem very interested. Before he could finish, she pointed back at the waterway.

“Waterway.”

“Waterway?”

“Yeah. It’s where water is stored to irrigate fields. It flows-.”

“There’s a stream, right?”

Yoo Jin naturally thought of a stream when talking about flowing water.

Having grown up seeing many streams, it was a natural reaction.

“Yeah. It’s like a stream, but with a lot more water.”

“If there’s a lot, can we tube?”

She must have remembered the beach water play from a picture book.

But wouldn’t playing in the waterway be dangerous?

Jin-hyeok, holding Yoo Jin, quickly turned and pointed at the swimming pool.

“Swimming is done there. The water is clean, so it’s good for tubing.”

“Yay! So exciting!”

Yoo Jin seemed thrilled at the thought of playing in the water. They had forbidden her from playing in the stream because of rocks and snakes, so her reaction was natural. Once the sports center was completed, she could swim even in winter. Yoo Jin would love it.

Carrying his sister, he walked on the gravel where the track would be, chasing the sun.

He wanted to walk directly, but it seemed too dangerous for children. The gravel wasn’t round, so if they fell, they could get scraped.

“Yoo Jin, how long would it take for this to fill with water if it rained?”

“Hmm…”

Was it too difficult a question? Yoo Jin frowned and folded her fingers one by one.

Still, with her genius brain, she managed to calculate and opened her little mouth.

“Twenty-five thousand years.”

Hahaha!

Waterworld? The end of the world, huh?

Well, if it’s only filled by rainwater, it would take a long time. Jin-hyeok patted her head, proud of her. Yoo Jin, don’t even think about going into science, he muttered.

“If there’s a lot of water, can we ride a boat?”

Her eyes sparkled as she imagined the huge waterway.

‘A boat…’

It seemed safe enough.

No waves, and there were bodyguards around.

“Yoo Jin, do you want to ride a boat?”

“Yay! If we ride a boat, can we go to Treasure Island?”

Yoo Jin, who played Captain Silver before bed, wearing a wide-brimmed hat. He could guess what she meant.

Hmm, I should have asked them to build an island in the middle of the waterway.

“Let’s build a boat later and ride it together.”

“Yay, hehe-.”

First, let’s prepare for finals.

We’ve been running too fast.

Time flew by, and the year was already coming to an end.

The autumn that filled the fields was erasing its traces.

***

Jin-hyeok is busy.

Because Hong Ki-jun and Son Kwang-yeon have handed over the control of SSS to Jin-hyeok.

Jin-hyeok was practically begging over the phone. In the past, this would have been unthinkable, but now that he knew Hong Ki-jun was the same person from before, Jin-hyeok’s straightforward personality seemed to have revived.

“What do I know? I’m just a student, I have to study, and I have to take care of my sister-.”

Actually, he was also busy preparing for his father’s business. It was a family matter, and if not Jin-hyeok, who else would step up? But there’s a difference between doing something voluntarily and being given responsibility.

So he decided to refuse appropriately.

– I’ll pay you.

“Hmm-, I’m still young, so I don’t have much use for money-.”

It was funny to hear himself say he was young, but it was true.

He wavered slightly at the mention of money, but he still decided to refuse-.

– I’ll pay you in dollars.

“What exactly can I do to help you, Father?”

Jin-hyeok knelt in front of the phone.

Click.

He couldn’t resist the hard currency.

After all, he didn’t need to nag every agent. Just cooking Yang Gang-wook, the team leader, would suffice. But it wasn’t even necessary to go that far. Even the bear-like Yang Gang-wook couldn’t make a peep in front of Moon Seok-il. Something about a beast senior or whatever.

Most discussions took place in Jin-hyeok’s room, but the location didn’t matter. Any space where Jin-hyeok and Moon Seok-il were together became the office.

“Hmm-, ‘We will not recruit additional bodyguards and will only fill vacancies caused by transfers or long-term absences.’ Can I convey it like this?”

“Yes. And please request medical personnel, whether doctors or nurses.”

“Medical personnel?”

Moon Seok-il, carrying a sleeping Yoo Jin in the yard and holding a notebook, blinked.

Wearing brown sunglasses and a sling, he looked oddly fitting.

It’s fascinating. It’s his first time carrying a child, but without anyone teaching him, he naturally bounces his body. Must be the parenting instinct ingrained in human DNA.

“With so many people, if someone gets sick, we need to take measures. A medical team is essential.”

“Okay. I’ll convey that.”

“And kitchen staff.”

“Essential.”

Moon Seok-il nodded and quickly jotted it down in his notebook. Hunched over, still bouncing his body. Since his chest was different from a woman’s, the sling kept slipping.

Jin-hyeok chuckled and mentally checked the current status and plans.

With one hobbit bunker left, having medical personnel on standby would be helpful in case of emergencies. It would also benefit the neighbors. Many suffer from heatstroke in summer, and there are accidents with snake or dog bites.

Most of the agents are older and married, so they commute from town. This means there’s no shortage of living space. The hobbit bunkers are just workplaces, and Son Kwang-yeon requested not to have overly close protection, so SSS stayed comfortably underground. Eyes wide open.

For them, it was an itchy situation.

“Any suspicious movements?”

“Hmm. Some kids on motorcycles are roaming around, but unless they’re doing something bad, the boss said to leave them be. Teacher Kim Chun-sik’s cow had a miscarriage, but we can’t confirm if it’s because of them…”

Jin-hyeok nodded involuntarily.

He often frowned at the sound of 125cc motorcycles with holey mufflers. Kim Eun-jung’s cow had a miscarriage after they appeared. But you can’t have special forces veterans beating up punks, can you?

Son Kwang-yeon said they were all once like that and to let them be. Saying our son, who doesn’t know how to have fun, is the weird one. That Buddha-like father really doesn’t know how to get angry, does he?

“Any requests from the agents?”

“They’re feeling itchy.”

Living in well-insulated, comfortable hobbit bunkers covered with soil and plants, but being confined, it was natural. Son Kwang-yeon occasionally inspecting the crops was the only time the agents got some fresh air. They needed a solution.

“Let’s do this.”

Jin-hyeok, who had been doing push-ups, suddenly stood up.