Chapter 111

< Stepping on the Seasons (4) >

Jin Hyuk wanted to breathe in some fresh air.

Stepping out of the front door, Jin Hyuk sat on the bench set up on the deck in front of the living room.

The night sky was tinged with gray, as if it was about to snow, and the cold air signaling winter was filled with moisture resembling clouds.

Jin Hyuk sniffled, wearing the face of the village fool, just like his dad.

The dizzying changes in reality had made him that way.

‘Life has taken such a different turn that I don’t even know what to do anymore.’

But he wasn’t disappointed or bewildered.

With his parents still around and now having two younger siblings, this was clearly a blessing.

A wave of emotion rippled through his calm heart.

On the other hand, he was also worried about his much younger siblings.

‘Damn, am I gonna have to embezzle some land deeds to take care of these kids?’

He thought they might be in the basement safe. What could the password be? Jin Hyuk furrowed his brows as he pondered. Of course, he had no intention of actually stealing anything.

Son Kwang-yeon followed him out and placed a hand on Jin Hyuk’s shoulder.

He awkwardly tried to guess the feelings of his son, who was sitting hunched on the bench.

“Son, are you upset that the company name was decided based on your siblings’ names?”

“It’s not that.”

Perhaps worried about Jin Hyuk’s shocked expression, Han Yu-young and Son Yoo-jin also came out, wrapped in blankets.

With the whole family gathered, Jang Gun-i, the dog, also dragged his heavy belly up to the deck.

Jin Hyuk tickled Jang Gun-i’s chin with his fingers and locked eyes with his dad.

“Maybe we should reconsider the company name.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

It would’ve been normal to ask why, but Son Kwang-yeon couldn’t bring himself to question his son’s serious expression.

“If a meteor (Yoo Seong) flies by or falls to the ground, the world could end, right?”

“Oh, that’s plausible.”

“Oh my, really?”

Han Yu-young also widened her eyes in agreement.

For Jin Hyuk, it was just an excuse, but it seemed to have convinced the parents.

The atmosphere leaned toward agreeing that it was a name that could either shine brightly or crash and burn.

Son Kwang-yeon decided to actively accept his son’s opinion.

“Let’s think about a better name for the company. We can always change it.”

Han Yu-young took it a step further.

“Then, while we’re at it, should we change the baby’s name too? Yoo-jin, what would you like your sibling’s name to be?”

“Piggy tasty?”

Ah, Yoo Jin.

Seeing her dazed eyes, it was clear she was still half-asleep and talking nonsense.

It’s probably best to exclude Yoo-jin’s opinion. Piggy? Not a great idea.

An impromptu family meeting was held in the middle of the night.

There was no immediate urgency, but since the topic had come up, Son Kwang-yeon suggested they make a decision, and everyone agreed.

“Yoo Myung? Yoo Jung? Yoo Do? Yoo Hyuk? Jin Soo? Jin Ho? Jin Jin?”

“Yoo Jin? Oh, we already have that.”

Han Yu-young scratched the side of her head.

What would be a good name? What name would suit our family?

After a long silence, Jin Hyuk seized the moment and slowly spoke up.

“Jeong Won.”

Both his dad and mom held their breath.

The weight that name carried was extraordinary.

“We don’t have to stick to ‘Yoo’ or ‘Jin’ just because of the family tradition. What about the name Jeong Won? ‘Jeong’ as in ‘hill’ and ‘Won’ as in ‘garden.’”

It was a lonely name.

A name that stood tall alone, weathering storms, leaving no trace after battling the world’s hardships.

“But now we’re here, so it won’t be lonely anymore. On the contrary, it could mean someone who stands firm and does their duty, no matter the storm.”

As he said this, he looked at his dad, but his dad turned his head and gazed at the distant sky. Jin Hyuk didn’t know what he was thinking, but from the way his cheeks and nose twitched, it seemed like he was remembering a grandfather he had never met.

“Alright. It’s a good name. It’s soft to pronounce.”

Han Yu-young smiled warmly at her son and placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder.

Son Kwang-yeon silently nodded. His gaze was still tilted toward the sky.

Jin Hyuk quietly watched his dad’s profile as he closed his eyes.

Who could possibly understand his dad’s feelings?

Now it was time to decide on the company name…

This family was collectively wandering in the realm of zero creativity.

‘I thought it was just me because I read too many books.’

Turns out, it’s genetic.

Both dad and mom were scratching their heads, unable to come up with a decent name.

Nyaaam-.

Yoo-jin, who had been crouching and petting Jang Gun-i, let out a long yawn.

“Our Jang Gun-i is so pretty, right?”

At that moment, Jin Hyuk felt a surge of energy in his upper dantian.

It was a reaction he hadn’t felt in a long time.

A word forced its way out of his lips.

“General.”

Jang Gun-i was part of the family.

In a way, he was Jin Hyuk’s most special friend.

Plus, the word “General” also means “ordinary, common.”

Yoo-jin had given a hint, but it wasn’t a coincidence that the word “General,” which carries both the meaning of Jang Gun-i’s name and “ordinary,” came to mind.

“General?”

“General…”

Mom and dad seemed unsure.

Mom seemed bothered by the foreignness of the word, while dad had a look of concern about plagiarism.

“Let’s go global.”

Jang Gun Enterprises sounded like a company that made long-term supplies. Jin Hyuk muttered in an unsure voice.

Son Kwang-yeon, who had already moved on from his melancholy, laughed brightly.

“Hahaha! If it weren’t for our son, we’d never have thought of this. I’m in favor.”

“Hohoho-, me too.”

And so, leaving the plagiarism controversy behind, the company Son Kwang-yeon would establish was decided to be “General.”

Along with Son Kwang-yeon’s remark that they should avoid entering industries like automobiles, aircraft, and design.

‘It’s better than Yoo Seong Enterprises.’

Though he didn’t have detailed memories of what had happened since it wasn’t his direct experience, it felt like they had dodged a bullet with the name.

Along with the happy news of gaining a niece-like sibling, the company name was also decided.

Above all, Jin Hyuk felt proud that they had passed down his grandfather’s name to his sibling.

With a light heart, Jin Hyuk stretched.

***

As if waiting for winter break to start, the sports center was completed.

Jin Hyuk carried Yoo-jin through the yard, walked through the garden, and headed to the sports center.

After walking a few dozen meters along the waterway track, the gym’s sign came into view.

〈Bear Gym〉

The two syllables, a perfect blend of Korean and English.

It created a mystical atmosphere, as if a bear was ascending to heaven. The letters, carved into a wooden board by Cheon Gil-ryong in a mountain-style calligraphy, looked stylish.

Jin Hyuk planned to run the farm road as usual, unless the weather was bad. Hence, he suggested combining Yang Gang-wook’s nickname with “Gym” for the naming.

Dad had asked if they even needed a sign since no one would come to see it, but who has ever heard of a nameless person? Buildings are the same. Giving it a name makes it feel more precious and fosters affection. It was also intended for the SSS agents to take care of it with affection and keep it clean.

Inside the gym, it seemed like all the nearby neighbors had gathered. Choi Tae-yang, who had decided on the university he would attend, came with his parents and younger sister Choi Mi-kyung. Jo Il-hun and Cheon Gil-ryong were already there, touring the interior. Yook Seong-chan and Kim Eun-jung, who lived farther away, would probably visit someday.

“Old man, no smoking indoors. It’s written right there-.”

“Ohoho-, you’re right. My apologies.”

Ssss-.

At Jo Il-hun’s scolding, Cheon Gil-ryong pressed out his cigarette with his thumb and bowed to the others.

“The high-performance pumps draw up groundwater, which is then filtered through ultra-filtration membranes to remove primary impurities. Next, any remaining minerals are broken down by electric anodes. After undergoing active disinfection by the hyper-clarification system, the neo-circulating pump circulates the water for another round of purification.”

As the responsible engineer gave his presentation, Jin Hyuk and the SSS team members nodded along. Most of them had glazed eyes, their souls seemingly wandering around the village.

The engineer was explaining like a true engineer. Well, it basically meant it was top-notch and good.

The engineer moved to a panel on one side of the center.

Opening the panel door, which looked like a distribution board, revealed a switchboard and a large circuit board.

“There’s a timer embedded in the board. When it’s time to change the water, a red light will turn on in the pool’s ceiling, and drainage will start 10 minutes later.”

Hmm, so a red light means no entry into the water.

Jin Hyuk couldn’t help but marvel at the surprisingly advanced technology.

“It’s okay to enter the water. The drain is long and horizontal along the bottom wall—see there? It’s not a round hole, so hands or feet won’t get stuck. Yes, the plug is an automatic control partition inserted in the middle of the drain pipe, a method used by Australians, adopted for its excellent safety to prevent accidents-.”

At that point, it would’ve been nice to move on, but the engineer’s pride was higher than the dome-shaped ceiling.

Quiet yawns and leg stretches could be seen here and there.

The engineer pointed to the track near the various equipment and martial arts mats.

“The track’s circumference is 250 meters.”

The synthetic track with two lanes encircled the pool and the center.

It was huge.

No one could have expected such a dome-shaped gym to be hidden under the lawn and fruit trees.

Before they knew it, the presentation was nearing its end.

“It’s built so sturdy that it could even be used as a bomb shelter.”

Clap clap clap clap clap-.

As the presentation ended, applause erupted as if everyone had been waiting for it.

The engineer smiled broadly, seemingly satisfied with his presentation, but everyone else was thinking the same thing.

‘Finally, it’s over.’

The presentation felt longer and more tedious than the construction period itself.

Yang Gang-wook, covering his mouth with a bear-like paw, yawned, and a thick tear fell. No matter how intelligent he was, incomprehensible words were like a lullaby.

Son Kwang-yeon, cupping his hands like a trumpet, shouted to the neighbors.

“Feel free to come and use the gym whenever you’re not busy! The kids here will teach you swimming and play badminton with you!”

The neighbors, familiar with his character, laughed and applauded.

No matter how busy farming gets, who doesn’t have an hour or two to swim?

Choi Jang-hwan and Kim Soon-bok had already bought swimsuits.

Yang Gang-wook, shaking his head vigorously to wake himself up, put strength into his vocal cords.

“Alright! All SSS members, change into your uniforms and demonstrate martial arts for our guests!”

The roar of a bear echoed loudly inside the dome.

For them, it was a routine ingrained from their military days, but for the rural folks, it was a rare event. Everyone gathered around the mats with sparkling eyes.

As Yang Gang-wook, dressed in a white judo uniform, stepped onto the mat, Myung Hyun-woo appeared on the opposite side.

Then, unexpected words came out of Yang Gang-wook’s mouth.

“I am Gio Dan-.”

Jin Hyuk, catching Yang Gang-wook’s words, unconsciously muttered to himself.

‘Vanguard!’

“-Vanguard!”

Ugh-. That guy’s still the same. Or rather, it’s more accurate to say it’s a habit from his younger days.

The SSS team, familiar with their bear-like leader’s antics, wore indifferent expressions, while only Jin Hyuk, who knew Yang Gang-wook’s habits, smiled. The neighbors looked puzzled, wondering why he was acting like that.

Yang Gang-wook had always shouted like that during sparring sessions in the past.

Once, a subordinate had asked why he always chose “Vanguard” when there were so many other heroes.

– “The Vanguard is the epitome of a soldier. A hero among heroes who didn’t protect himself but gave his life to protect what needed to be protected.”

He was referring to the story of the Vanguard who died defending Cao Cao’s residence during a midnight attack by enemy forces.

No one could argue with his interpretation.

After all, there’s no Korean man who doesn’t know the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

“I, I am Guan Yu of Hedong…”

Myung Hyun-woo, looking around the room, muttered in a voice that seemed to crawl. His face was beet red, probably embarrassed in front of the neighbors.

Thud-!

The sparring began, and after a few grappling exchanges, Myung Hyun-woo spun through the air and landed on his back. The attack was clean, but Myung Hyun-woo’s breakfall in that split second was nearly perfect.

Yang Gang-wook, helping Myung Hyun-woo up, shouted.

“Who will face this Vanguard next!”

Jin Hyuk, trying to ignore the ear-piercing shout, quietly lowered his head.

‘This is kinda embarrassing.’

That winter, memories of catching loaches with his dad came to mind. Must be the mood.