Chapter 138

< The Messy Hand Coach (3) >

No matter how irresponsible and indifferent to grades a teacher might be, and even if the track and field club is just for show, I thought the teachers would have at least laid the groundwork. After all, kids tend to pick things up quickly, even with just a passing comment. But Jo Seol-chan and Yeom Byeong-taek hadn’t changed at all since elementary school, except for growing taller and their legs getting thicker.

Maybe they just left them alone because they thought they’d never improve.

‘Let’s give it a little more effort.’

If the kids really couldn’t do it, then it would be time to give up.

Jin Hyuk was frustrated with the haphazard way the world worked. He wanted to film them with his camcorder at home, slow it down, and analyze it, but doing it alone would take too much time.

‘If only I had a smartphone, it’d be so much easier.’

But this was the 20th century, and such things didn’t exist yet.

Kids played soccer or basketball instead of smartphone games, and troublemakers smoked cigarettes or sniffed glue in secluded spots.

‘I wish these brats would at least study a bit.’

It seemed unlikely that Jo Seol-chan and Yeom Byeong-taek would get into Taeyang High School. That was the cautious opinion he got from their homeroom teacher. He thought maybe if they had some competition results, it might help with their admission.

Since their academic performance wasn’t improving, he wanted to help them through sports.

‘What’s fun about just doing well and living comfortably by myself?’

***

Yoo Jin had long limbs and decent natural talent.

Her mom always lamented that if they lived in the city, she would’ve put her in ballet like Hong Soo-jung. But living in the countryside, there were no ballet or dance academies nearby. After-school programs didn’t even exist.

All the instructors at home specialized in martial arts. Even Jang Jin-nam, the mildest of them, tried to teach her something more feminine by teaching her Wing Chun.

In the end, her brother stepped in.

“Um-pa-, um-pa-. Like this?”

“That’s right. When you say ‘um,’ close your mouth and exhale through your nose. When you say ‘pa,’ turn your head to the side like me and inhale through your mouth.”

Jin Hyuk did his best to teach Yoo Jin how to swim.

Wherever you looked, there was water. You wouldn’t fall in unless you tried, but accidents happen when you least expect them. Last year, he jumped into the water to save Hongsi, who had jumped into the irrigation ditch to cool off. Hongsi was just trying to beat the heat.

Accidents don’t always happen by intention.

And since kids love to splash around in water, swimming was essential for safe water play.

On the other side of the pool, Choi Mi-kyung was still flailing around, but she had improved a lot compared to before.

‘Little by little, she’s moving forward…’

Compared to six months ago when she was struggling to stay afloat, Choi Mi-kyung had made remarkable progress.

Compared to Choi Jang-hwan and Kim Soon-bok, who were learning butterfly stroke, Choi Mi-kyung, who hadn’t even mastered freestyle, was like a jellyfish in front of a dolphin. But there was a reason for it. In Jin Hyuk’s eyes, Choi Mi-kyung’s fear was the problem.

When Choi Mi-kyung was eight, she had fallen into a pond called the “Doombung.” She was probably picking up snails with Jin Hyuk. The pond wasn’t deep, just a little over her height, so she could’ve gotten out if she had just moved a bit. But could anyone stay calm in that situation? Especially a child.

Jin Hyuk, who was smaller than Choi Mi-kyung at the time, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and pulled her out. He held onto the grass roots, his body half-submerged in the pond. In a way, he was her lifesaver. But Jin Hyuk never mentioned it again because Choi Mi-kyung got scared whenever the topic came up.

Anyway, Jin Hyuk saw Choi Mi-kyung differently.

‘You’re still my friend. You’re brave.’

Just overcoming her fear and getting into the pool was enough for Choi Mi-kyung to deserve applause. That’s what Jin Hyuk thought.

In contrast, Yoo Jin wasn’t afraid of water.

Since she was a baby, she had been playing in water—whether in a basin or a bathtub—with someone always by her side. Even as a baby, she would stubbornly keep playing in the water even if she swallowed some.

“Yoo Jin, water is scary.”

“No, it’s not! It’s not scary!”

“Well, I mean… what I’m saying is…”

He wanted to tell her not to take it lightly, but he didn’t want to scare her unnecessarily.

While he was pondering what to say, Yoo Jin spoke up clearly.

“Jin-nam oppa said if you’re scared, you can’t improve.”

Yoo Jin’s way of speaking was starting to resemble Jang Jin-nam’s.

If it had been Min Yong-rak spending so much time with her, she’d probably be snacking all day. If it had been Yang Gang-wook, he’d probably be saying, “I’m Dong-o’s Sun Shangxiang!”

“Jin-nam oppa said he got beaten up by junk food when he was little, so he was scared of people. That’s why he started exercising to not be scared.”

Jin Hyuk nodded involuntarily.

Jang Jin-nam had looked deep into himself and accurately diagnosed the source of his fear. In the end, he overcame it and even served as a UDT member.

It was a relief.

He felt reassured that Yoo Jin had good mentors around her.

“What are you scared of, oppa?”

The question caught him off guard.

They had never talked about this before, so it was natural, but it was also surprising that Yoo Jin was now curious about others.

“Hmm…”

His brow furrowed.

He had to think for a moment, but nothing came to mind.

‘What am I afraid of?’

He was indifferent to the world.

As such, he kept his distance from everything—people, objects. Even the beauties or fancy cars that most men would drool over, he looked at them with less interest than a stone.

“I know! I know what you’re scared of!”

“Oh? Really? What am I scared of?”

If she knows something I don’t, is my sister a genius?

Jin Hyuk’s eyes widened.

“Oppa, you’re scared of tonkatsu.”

Cough-.

The saliva he was swallowing got stuck in his throat.

This little one is sharper than she needs to be.

But Jin Hyuk, who wasn’t scared of tonkatsu, smiled calmly.

“Yoo Jin, I like tonkatsu. I’m not scared of it.”

“Why?”

Yoo Jin’s eyes widened.

Oh man.

What should I say?

*

As he watched Yoo Jin practicing her breathing by the edge of the pool, Jin Hyuk fell into thought.

‘I’m scared.’

Of losing someone.

Not just family.

Moon Seok-il and SSS, and the friends he was making new memories with.

He wished they wouldn’t get hurt or leave his side. It was a selfish desire that had been growing in his heart, but now it surfaced clearly.

What would life mean if they weren’t in his future?

He sighed deeply and shook his head.

Thinking of the person who was inevitably filling his heart.

‘I should call Soo-jung today.’

He had always been the one receiving calls, never the one making them.

But what should he say to an elementary schooler? As he pondered, Yoo Jin called out to him.

“Oppa, the watch has passed.”

“Huh, already?”

Yoo Jin was as eager to exercise as her brother.

He had promised her that if she practiced her breathing for 10 minutes, he’d let her float in the pool. She had done it without stopping. He hadn’t allowed her to fully submerge yet because the basics were important. But since Jang Jin-nam and Myung Hyun-woo had taught her how to kick well, it was time to move forward. Basics were important, but kids lose interest quickly if it’s not fun.

Finally.

Son Yoo-jin entered the water without leaning on the pool wall.

“Wahhh! This is so fun!”

The dolphin-like squeals filled the pool.

The noise startled Choi Mi-kyung, who had been flailing in the distance.

Even though she was holding her brother’s hand, it was a new experience for the child. And it wasn’t just any coach—it was her brother, the person she relied on most in the world.

“Yoo Jin, relax your neck. Lower your head more. If you keep it stiff like that, you’ll sink.”

“I can’t! If I do that, I’ll swallow water!”

Once she was in the water, she seemed scared.

Yoo Jin shouted back, almost like she was arguing with her brother.

“You’ve practiced your breathing, right?”

“I’ll try!”

Jin Hyuk kept smiling and spoke gently.

They had to take it slow, step by step, naturally.

If he yelled or pressured her, Yoo Jin might get scared and give up.

“Pa!”

Splash splash-.

She swallowed some water, but Yoo Jin did as she was taught without fear.

“Pa!”

Splash splash-, gulp gulp-.

She swallowed a bit more water, but…

“Now grab the kickboard and kick while breathing.”

“Okay-, cough cough-.”

She swallowed some water, but…

Well, you can’t learn to swim without swallowing some water.

The more water Yoo Jin swallowed, the better her swimming would get.

***

His hand trembled as he held the phone.

He had called Seoul before to check in with Chairman Yoo Myung-sun or Vice Chairman Hong Ki-jun for work-related reasons, but this was the first time he had picked up the phone to call Hong Soo-jung.

But the trembling didn’t last long.

“Ah, really? Soo-jung went to bed early?”

– Mumble mumble-.

“Yes…”

Jin Hyuk had mustered up the courage to call, but Yoo Se-ra’s response was that she had fallen asleep while playing with the baby.

– Are you competing, Jin Hyuk?

“Yes. Just the 100-meter and 200-meter events.”

– If you want to compete in other events, just say so. Rules can be changed.

“No, it’s better to focus on these.”

Who else but Yoo Se-ra would casually suggest changing competition rules? Competing in multiple events wasn’t a privilege or a disgrace in track and field. But last year, there was a recommendation to avoid multiple events to protect athletes and improve specialization. So, Yoo Se-ra was boldly suggesting breaking non-existent rules to encourage him to compete in more events.

“I’ll stick to the sprints.”

It wasn’t because sprints were easy.

Jin Hyuk was weakest in sprints.

Some might call it deceitful, but Jin Hyuk had felt a limit to his explosive power at some point.

Maybe it had been since he was thirteen, at his first competition.

His breathing and muscle strength were sufficient, but his heart would itch, feeling like it was about to burst, but the energy never came out. It was a feeling only those who had experienced it would understand.

That itchy, peculiar feeling fueled his competitive spirit.

It was like a sneeze that wouldn’t come or constipation.

Even though he had the stamina to sprint a kilometer, he wanted to make his mark in the 100-meter and 200-meter events. They were the pinnacle of track and field, after all.

The same went for the long jump.

Practicing for fun every day, he had reached nearly 8 meters. Of course, it was an indoor practice record, so the reliability was somewhat lower. But it was still an impressive record. According to the data Yoo Se-ra provided, the middle school record was around 7.2 meters.

Yoo Se-ra didn’t ask much and didn’t push him to try other events. She had already been considering focusing on sprints herself.

– Alright. Min Yong-rak will accompany you as your manager for this competition.

“Huh?”

– You need a manager. You’re my athlete.

They hadn’t even signed a contract yet, and she was calling him her athlete.

Even so, what kind of manager is needed for a middle school track and field competition?

And Min Yong-rak…

‘Ah!’

Jin Hyuk had recently received Min Yong-rak’s updated business card.

Sain Sports Foundation. A pink and white gradient business card with a diagonal design. It was very Hong Soo-jung-like.

According to Min Yong-rak, he was working in the Sain Group’s strategy department and the SI Foundation, but Jin Hyuk could guess Hong Ki-jun and Yoo Se-ra’s intentions.

‘He’s my dedicated manager, isn’t he?’

After a moment of silence, Yoo Se-ra pressed on.

– Got it?

“Yes…”

– Why does your answer sound like that?

“Ahem! Yes, ma’am!”

Her persistence made him feel like he was talking to Hong Soo-jung.

He was about to hang up when Yoo Se-ra’s voice stretched out.

– Anything difficult?

“Teaching is harder than I thought.”

He heard a sigh on the other end.

Jin Hyuk realized his mistake.

He expected her to say, “Take care of yourself before trying to teach others.” Adults usually said things like that.

– You need to lower your standards. Being a great athlete doesn’t necessarily make you a great coach. If you set your own skills as the standard, not many people will meet your expectations.

It was an unusually mature response from the usually childish Yoo Se-ra.

He heard rustling sounds, as if she was flipping through reference materials.

– Is it because of your friends?

“Yes, that’s right.”

– They say it’s not as easy as it sounds to enhance strengths and fix weaknesses. In such cases, focus on one thing. Even just one can show results. Strengthening strengths is the path to becoming a unique athlete, and let’s see… to build a team, you need to fix weaknesses to raise the team’s overall level. That’s what it says in this MIT engineering thesis.

MIT published research like that?

Anyway, it made sense.

“I’ll keep focusing on fixing weaknesses.”

– That’s right, that’s right. You’re so smart.

With the competition just a few months away, they should’ve been focusing on improving concentration for reaction speed and managing condition, but the two messes reached a strange conclusion.

“Thanks for the advice. I feel a bit better.”

Jin Hyuk was inwardly impressed.

He had once thought of her as a childish adult, but it seemed adults were still adults.

Respect for Yoo Se-ra sprouted naturally.

– Right, if you set your standards too high, the world becomes less fun. If you keep looking at beauties like this mother, no other woman will look pretty-.

Click-.

Respect revoked.