Chapter 146

<Child and Adult (3)>

I vowed to treat her coldly, but…

Jin-hyuk’s icy armor was disarmed by the wide-eyed, frightened expression on Hong Soo-jung’s face. It reminded him of the way she used to shrink back in front of Team Leader Son Jin-hyuk, who always spoke his mind.

When Soo-jung stepped back in surprise, Jin-hyuk’s complicated emotions vanished.

“Uh… Soo-jung, what’s wrong?”

Soo-jung hesitated, fiddling with the hem of her clothes as if she had something difficult to say. Jin-hyuk felt like he’d seen this before.

She wasn’t the same Soo-jung from the past.

‘Isn’t this the posture people take when they’re about to confess?’

Back in high school, a girl from the same private school had confessed to him. She even brought a carefully wrapped gift. Jin-hyuk, who had agonized over the moment as if it were an eternity, had naturally rejected her at the time. What an idiot.

The shy girl had turned red and run away.

He never told any of his friends, but if they had found out, they would have called him a fool.

But now, Son Jin-hyuk is the son of Son Kwang-yeon, a man of Seoul.

He had grown into a man who knew the basics of making someone feel comfortable in such situations. Life had taught him wisdom, and he had also been influenced by Kwang-yeon, who had forced him to sit down and tutor him.

Besides, wasn’t this the same kid who used to confess and get marriage promises all the time? Big brother will play along with your little game.

“Ahem! Soo-jung, you can speak freely. Big brother will accept whatever you say—”

“Mom asked me to film a video next week.”

“—kay.”

He had agreed to something completely unexpected.

But what’s happening next week? Jin-hyuk’s face, which had been ready to accept a confession, turned as dumb as Cheon-ma, the shepherd dog exhausted from the heat.

“It’s Soo-hyuk’s first birthday party. She said family usually films those things, so she asked me to do it.”

“That…”

What…

Are we family now?

Event companies usually handle that kind of thing. Jin-hyuk’s mouth hung open like the snout of a Doberman, Gwang-ma.

Soo-hyuk has two uncles and older cousins, so why Jin-hyuk?

“You did such a good job filming today, so they asked us to do it too.”

Avoiding Jin-hyuk’s dumbfounded gaze, Soo-jung spoke clearly. Despite her shy actions, she was straightforward with her words. Seoul women are scary.

Since he was planning to attend Soo-hyuk’s first birthday party with his family anyway, there was no reason to refuse. Jin-hyuk slowly nodded and looked at Soo-jung with expectant eyes.

“…Alright. Anything else?”

But Soo-jung silently bowed and ran toward Yoo Jin.

“Yoo Jiiiin!”

“Sisssster!”

It was like a family reunion.

The sight of the grown-up kid and the still-growing kid hugging each other reminded him of Hong-shi and Jang Gun-i grooming each other.

It was a cheerful side of her that Jin-hyuk had never seen before.

“Sister, let’s go to the bear house.”

“Okay.”

Soo-jung and Yoo Jin linked arms and skipped across the lawn. They looked incredibly happy and excited.

Jin-hyuk, who had been staring blankly at them, tilted his head.

‘Has the world changed? She’s changed so much too.’

The way she interacted with Yoo Jin made her seem more like a mature older sister than a mischievous kid.

If she had only been awkward around Jin-hyuk, it would have been disappointing, but Soo-jung acted maturely in front of Son Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young too. So, even in the midst of his confusion, Jin-hyuk could let go of his disappointment.

Honestly, it was a bit disappointing, but he couldn’t grab an elementary schooler by the collar and demand why she was acting this way.

He had always thought people didn’t change, but seeing the once-rowdy drunk turn into a Confucian girl was both shocking and refreshing.

Well, I’ve changed too. Jin-hyuk muttered as he wiped the table with a cloth.

‘Still, it’s disappointing.’

Drunk Soo-jung was so lovable.

The memory of her begging to be carried after two glasses of whiskey made his eyes heat up.

Ugh. Thinking he might never see that side of her again, he licked his lips and watched the kids who had almost crossed the lawn.

‘But has she grown that much?’

She looked similar to the little kid from her past life.

Choi Mi-kyung, a married woman, once told him that she had a tall friend in elementary school, but when they met again as adults, the friend hadn’t grown at all. Apparently, there are many friends like that.

Could it be that Soo-jung’s height since elementary school…

If so, she might grow a bit more in the next two years.

Oh my!

She’s all grown up, all grown up.

Frogs don’t remember their tadpole days, and Jin-hyuk couldn’t remember that he was already taller than his older brothers by two years when he was ten.

***

No one stays long for a first birthday party.

The neighborhood and company guests left early, and only the VIPs from Seoul stayed a bit longer.

As the SSS Agents followed at a distance, Yoo Myung-sun, guided by Cheon Gil-ryong, toured the neighborhood under the guise of a local history lesson. With one hand firmly holding Jin-hyuk’s, Jin-hyuk couldn’t talk to Hong Ki-jun or Hong Soo-jung.

“On a moonlit night, if you look out over the sea, you can see the Imoogi crossing the water. Its swimming was so lively and powerful.”

“Oh, so the Imoogi really existed?”

Jin-hyuk held back his laughter as he watched Yoo Myung-sun respond with rounded lips. He could see the image of baby Soo-hyuk straining while pooping on that face.

“Whether it’s an Imoogi or a Jangmoogi, if something thicker than a log swims across the sea, it must be an Imoogi, right? Like this, like this.”

Cheon Gil-ryong waved his arms to mimic a snake swimming.

Fortunately, Yoo Myung-sun seemed to find the story interesting.

“My, what a terrifying story. It makes you forget the heat.”

“Summer is the perfect time for such stories, isn’t it? The more rural the area, the more such tales there are. But aren’t people scarier than ghosts or goblins?”

“True, true. Our ghost stories are scary but also fun. The scary stories about people are just sad and infuriating.”

Hahaha.

Cheon Gil-ryong laughed heartily, his face scrunching up in satisfaction. No one dislikes it when their stories are found interesting. Gaining a fervent fan so late in life was as satisfying as it gets.

“Kids these days don’t want to listen to old stories. This guy, Jin-hyuk, has a strong stomach, so he wouldn’t be scared even if I told him such tales. And when I occasionally drop by to tell him stories, he just runs around like he’s struck gold.”

Jin-hyuk scratched the back of his head. I run away because I’m scared.

Remembering the Imoogi story he heard from teenager Choi Mi-kyung, Jin-hyuk still covers himself with a blanket up to his head when he sleeps alone.

Scary stories are supposed to fade with time, but for some reason, instead of forgetting, he sometimes feels like the Imoogi is staring at him from under the blanket. He thought it might be his heightened sixth sense, but since the Imoogi couldn’t possibly exist, it was more convincing to dismiss it as a delusion.

“Hahaha, why don’t you listen a bit?”

Yoo Myung-sun, looking at Jin-hyuk, turned to Cheon Gil-ryong.

“You must have felt lonely and disappointed.”

“At least Jin-hyuk’s younger sister, Yoo Jin, keeps me company, so I’m not too lonely.”

“That’s good. It would be a shame if such interesting stories disappeared. You should consider publishing a book.”

“Oh, a book? If you come down, I’ll tell you many interesting stories anytime. If I put them in writing, they’d sell more than Carnegie’s self-help books.”

Hahaha.

Cheon Gil-ryong stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

“Hahaha, I’ll consider it.”

Yoo Myung-sun’s eyes sparkled as he replied.

In the distance, where the sea sparkled, the construction site of the Saint Talent Development Institute was visible.

Son Kwang-yeon, who ruthlessly rejected resort or pension construction proposals, had only allowed the Talent Development Institute. His daughter, Yoo Se-ra, had told him that Jin-hyuk’s persuasion played a part in that decision.

Cheon Gil-ryong’s story continued until his mouth was dry.

When you meet someone who listens so intently and responds so well, you can’t miss the opportunity to keep telling stories.

“There was a guy named Jo Il-hun who lived at the edge of the village, and his father, Jo Mu-saeng, when he was young, was cutting wood and suddenly had an urgent need. He squatted and did his business anywhere. There are no toilets in the mountains, right? But this idiot wiped himself with lacquer tree leaves.”

“Oh no! If the lacquer gets on him, it’ll be a disaster.”

Clap!

Yoo Myung-sun even clapped in response, and Jin-hyuk perked up his ears.

Did the lacquer get on his butt? Did it swell up like a balloon? He was dying to know the outcome.

But Cheon Gil-ryong raised his wrist as if checking a watch and narrowed his eyes.

“Oh my, it’s already… Ahem, I’ve talked enough today, so let’s continue the story at Chuseok, shall we? My, the weather is so hot.”

Cheon Gil-ryong fanned himself with his hat and strode ahead.

“Ah, wait! Senior!”

Jin-hyuk stifled a laugh as he watched Yoo Myung-sun follow Cheon Gil-ryong, pleading for the next part of the story.

The SSS Agents, seeing their chairman like this for the first time, also struggled to hold back their laughter.

“Ahem, what happened next?”

“Ah, I’ll tell you at Chuseok, so just wait.”

Cheon Gil-ryong shook off Yoo Myung-sun and walked away.

No matter how big a corporate chairman he was, in front of Cheon Gil-ryong, he was just a child before an adult.

“In the dark night, in the pitch-black night, we set off to find the dawn. Eolssu!”

Humming a song he recently learned at church, Cheon Gil-ryong quickly disappeared toward the inner village.

Yoo Myung-sun, still savoring the story, clasped Jin-hyuk’s hand with both of his. The effects of the makgeolli he had enjoyed without restraint were evident on his face.

“Jin-hyuk.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“I have a request.”

Jin-hyuk already knew what it was.

He wanted to know what happened to Jo Mu-saeng, who wiped himself with lacquer tree leaves.

‘I’m dying to know too.’

By the way, how can I get Cheon Gil-ryong to tell the next part of the story? It’s not like he’d tell me for 100 won, and he’s not the type to be bribed.

“I’ll tell you at Soo-hyuk’s first birthday party.”

Jin-hyuk confidently replied. If it doesn’t work, I’ll make it work.

He even thought of an uncharacteristic improvisation.

‘If all else fails, I’ll just make it up.’

Yoo Myung-sun nodded repeatedly with a pleased expression.

Thinking that our Jin-hyuk is as sharp as ever.

Seeing the trust-filled look in Yoo Myung-sun’s eyes, Jin-hyuk felt a pang of regret.

‘Oh no.’

He had forgotten about his poor storytelling skills.

*

After all the Seoul guests left, it became a peaceful Sunday afternoon.

Jeong-won, who sleeps a lot, and the parents, tired from entertaining guests, decided to go home early to rest.

‘Where did Yoo Jin go?’

Jang Gun-i lay on the second floor of the doghouse with his chin on his front paws, while Hong-shi, Cheon-ma, and Gwang-ma, the three large dogs, all went inside to turn on the dog heater.

“Wow, it’s so hot. Aren’t you guys hot?”

If the dog friends are home, Yoo Jin must be nearby, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Jin-hyuk wandered around the yard calling for Yoo Jin.

“Yoo Jin, where are you?”

“Pant pant-. I’m heeere!”

Where?

Jin-hyuk followed the voice. With his sharp senses fully dedicated to finding his sister, it wasn’t hard.

At the edge of the lawn where there were no zelkova trees, under the shade of three thick cherry trees growing close together, Yoo Jin was hopping around. The branches, left to spread for the abundant cherry blossoms, hid Yoo Jin behind their drooping leaves.

“Yoo Jin, are you exercising?”

“Nooo-. I’m picking cherries.”

“Are there still cherries?”

He asked, but there seemed to be some left, as Yoo Jin’s hands and mouth were stained purple.

Cherries are bitter in season but become sweeter as the heat sets in. Yoo Jin loves them, and Jang Gun-i loves them too. When Jang Gun-i fertilizes the cherry trees, Jin-hyuk transplants the saplings along the waterway.

‘They’re so sturdy because they sprouted in the compost.’

The cherries, which were in full bloom at the end of June, were picked by Yoo Jin and Jang Gun-i, while Dad picked them to make wine, and Mom shook the trees to make syrup.

Since the season had passed, most of the high-hanging fruit had fallen in the heavy rain. From a distance, the trees just looked densely covered in leaves.

“Yoo Jin, I think there are no more cherries.”

“Nooo-. There are some here and heeere!”

When the cherry blossoms fall and the fruit forms, the cherry tree leaves grow large and lush, making it almost impossible to find the fruit. But Yoo Jin’s eyes seemed to spot them.

To appease his sister, Jin-hyuk picked a couple of cherries within reach and handed them to her.

“I think there are no more.”

“You have to lower yourself to see the fruit, whether it’s a person or a tree. Ahem-. That’s what it is.”

What is she talking about?

“Old man Cheon said it. Yoo Jin lowers herself to see the cherry tree fruit. Like this.”

Seeing Yoo Jin squatting like she was pooping and tilting her head back, Jin-hyuk felt an unexpected sense of enlightenment.

‘Lower yourself. You’ll see the other’s fruit.’

It was a sudden lesson, but it suited the season and was something Jin-hyuk needed.

Rather than lowering himself to see the strengths of his track team friends, he had only thought of lowering his expectations.

He used to kneel to match Soo-jung’s eye level, but today he just looked down at her.

Jin-hyuk lay flat under the cherry tree, feet together, hands clasped on his stomach.

Finding it amusing, Yoo Jin lay down beside him. Though shorter, her presence was much larger and deeper than her brother’s. Jin-hyuk turned his head and smiled contentedly at his sister.

“Wow-. There are so many when you lie down.”

“Right. So many.”

The translucent green shade hid the dark fruits, shimmering.

The afternoon sunlight filtering through the dense leaves made them shine like jewels.

Yes, they were jewels. The fruits, and this moment.

“Yoo Jin is more mature than her brother.”

“Then call me sister.”

Ah, Yoo Jin.

Hahaha. Hehehe.

The siblings, who could be mistaken for uncle and niece, lay under the cherry tree, giggling. It was as if the happy laughter of Son Kwang-yeon and Son Jin-hyuk on the day Yoo Jin was born was being reenacted by the siblings.

As the green shadows fell on their faces, summer peacefully seeped in.