Chapter 153

<The Summer Camp of Chaos (5)>

No matter how quick your reflexes are, reacting to the sound of a whistle or an electronic starter gun is a whole different ball game. That’s where the difference between Yeom Byeong-taek and Park Sang-ki came into play.

Even though Park Sang-ki had good explosive power, the gap between him and Yeom Byeong-taek was like the difference between a rooster and a hen when it came to the start, so Yeom ended up with better records.

They called it training, but it was pretty much over after everyone ran three times.

Since it was a week focused on physical training, pushing too hard before their bodies were fully conditioned could lead to injuries, and there were also some unexpected obstacles.

Park Sang-ki, who had been training with the soccer team, surprisingly had good stamina and recovery. The problem was Jo Seol-chan and Yeom Byeong-taek.

“Oww, my thighs and stomach are so tight—”

“My back hurts too.”

“…I think I’m fine. Or maybe I’m not…?”

It was a natural result after enduring such tough training they weren’t used to.

The kids decided to give each other massages and headed home.

“Drink some orange juice and eat a banana. It’ll help with the muscle soreness.”

“Really?”

Jin Hyuk didn’t answer.

‘How should I know?’

Who cares.

It’s better than not eating anything, right?

Plus, it tastes good.

“AAAAAHHH!”

“EEEEEEK!”

“Ugh… Hnnng…!”

After making them lie down and massaging their thighs, they started screaming about how much it hurt and how ticklish it was.

Yeom Byeong-taek and Jo Seol-chan’s whining was quickly shut down by Jin Hyuk’s one-liner.

“Endure it. We need to loosen up the muscle soreness so we can go up Gu Bong Mountain again tonight.”

They had seen the schedule, but was it for real? A 10-kilometer course back and forth in the morning and evening? Is this guy serious about killing us?

“Does Jin Hyuk have nipples that cry?”

“It’s called flexibility, you idiot.”

As the kids rolled their eyes, Jin Hyuk chuckled.

“Just kidding. We’ll just do a light run and walk in the evening.”

“What kind of joke is that? It sounds so brutal…”

Originally, Jin Hyuk had planned to go up the mountain in the evening too, but he decided to avoid intense training in the afternoon if they were going to do supplementary classes. Plus, climbing the mountain in the dark was dangerous anyway.

Jin Hyuk had already revised more than half of the schedule.

‘Training in the morning, studying in the afternoon. Light recovery training in the evening.’

He also mixed in some fun elements for entertainment. Of course, his friends didn’t seem to think of it as fun, but to Jin Hyuk, it was plenty entertaining. After all, just being with friends made it a joyful time.

They started with a training exercise where they stood facing each other, hands behind their backs, and pushed each other’s shoulders.

“Straighten your back! Tighten your stomach! Pull your chin in!”

Even though the kids thought it was just another exercise when they heard the instructions, they could feel the training effect as the tension spread from their soles, ankles, calves, and thighs all the way to their backs.

They knew the truth: the harder it was, the stronger they’d become, and their stamina would improve.

There were also basic push-ups. It was training to strengthen the front muscles of the upper body, including the shoulders.

“Keep your elbows close to your sides.”

“They won’t stick!”

“Just imagine they’re sticking. Keep your fingers together and your hands facing forward in a cross shape.”

They didn’t see the difference at first, but after doing it the way Jin Hyuk showed them, their arms were trembling before they even finished ten. Their faces turned red like they were about to explode. Even Park Sang-ki, who had been through plenty of soccer team punishments, was surprised.

“Wow, my shoulders and chest are burning.”

Moon Seok-il, who had been watching the kids train, followed Jin Hyuk’s demonstration in the shade. Keeping his body, palms, and shoulders in a straight line, with his elbows not flaring out. Slowly lowering down and coming up without straining too much.

“Huff—”

Back in his military days, the focus was on doing more and faster, but this time, the pain he felt was different.

As the explosive stimulation hit his shoulders and chest, Jang Jin-nam’s words came to mind.

‘Is this really human body modification training?’

After slowly doing just ten push-ups, sweat poured down like rain.

Next was pull-ups.

“Pull your chest up! Tighten your stomach and tilt your head back! Don’t swing your legs! Who’s bending their knees? Use your back muscles to hold when you come down!”

Jin Hyuk had already transformed into a terrifying drill instructor.

Since the instructor went first, the kids couldn’t even cry and just groaned.

The only saving grace was that they were used to exercising, so they managed to get through it somehow.

“Let’s do 1,600 jump ropes and then take a break.”

“Jin Hyuk, why 1,600?”

Yeom Byeong-taek, who had just sipped lukewarm barley tea, asked.

“Your age times 100.”

As if that meant something profound, the good kids nodded.

Even after all the other kids finished their jump ropes, Jin Hyuk didn’t stop.

He was faster than the others, too.

“He’s ruthless.”

“Ugh, so ruthless.”

Son Jin-hyeok finally stopped after completing 3,000. Since he did jump ropes every day, it wasn’t that hard. If you combined his past life and this one, he should’ve done more, but he had struck a compromise with himself to stop at 3,000 and claimed a glorious victory.

Park Sang-ki, who finished his 1,600 jump ropes first, stood far away with a meaningful smile.

‘I’m naturally fast…’

Being a year late to school due to heart surgery as a child actually came in handy at times like this.

But somehow, they made it through the first day of training.

***

Swoosh—.

Jo Seol-chan, who had been groaning about full-body muscle soreness, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

‘That’s 94% likely the sound of rain!’

He threw off the blanket and sat up abruptly, letting out a dying sound.

“Ughhh—”

Jin Hyuk’s bed was wide and comfortable.

There was also a large window next to the bed, adding to the charm. But the muscle soreness, which made it impossible to pinpoint exactly where it hurt, had stolen the sweet comfort of sleep.

“Ughhh—”

Jo Seol-chan dragged his heavy body toward another room. It’s raining, so we probably won’t train today. He had to share this good news with his friends. He stumbled out of the room, just like the day he had been led by his grandmother to eat tonkatsu.

Sure enough.

Park Sang-ki and Yeom Byeong-taek were also massaging their thighs while watching the rain outside.

The dreadful summer, the long-awaited rain, and the musty, earthy smell of dust rose all the way to the second floor.

“Guys, we’re taking a break from training today, right?”

“Not sure. If we keep going when the rain stops, our bodies will get used to it. Ugh—, by the way, the delivery girls are gonna have a tough time today.”

“…If it were my girlfriend, I’d tell her to take a break. But the president is a man…”

Should we tie Jin Hyuk up and just take one day off?

He’d probably break free.

If we mess with him half-heartedly, it’ll be even worse. It’s better to just let him go…

As the murmurs mixed with the sound of rain, swirling chaotically in the room, footsteps were heard. Without any warning, Son Jin-hyeok, carrying Son Jeong-won, who was babbling, called out to his friends from the staircase.

“Let’s warm up a bit before breakfast.”

“Brooo—”

Jeong Won also waved his cute little hands, calling out to his older friends.

“But it’s raining?”

“Bring your swimsuits and follow me.”

Yeom Byeong-taek questioned, but Jin Hyuk wasn’t the kind of friend to be that nice.

But why bring swimsuits?

Are we going to splash around in the rain?

The kids followed Jin Hyuk to the garage connected to the house.

In the garage, they saw a door.

“Oww—”

“Ughhh—”

The muscle soreness in their thighs hit harder when going down than up. The kids groaned as they opened the door and descended the stairs.

Going underground, they found a straight passageway with lights on.

“What is this place? Are we running here?”

“…Is it a secret base?”

Ignoring Jo Seol-chan and Park Sang-ki’s questions, Jin Hyuk walked silently.

After walking more than 50 meters, they reached a glass door.

Opening the glass door, they found a gym inside.

SSS agents who were working out waved at Jin Hyuk.

Yeom Byeong-taek and Jo Seol-chan, who had reached a state of enlightenment, smiled like Buddhas.

“Hehehe—, no way. Why is this connected here?”

“Hahaha—, I miss my grandma.”

“…It’s not raining here.”

Park Sang-ki’s sad eyes looked down at the floor.

The spotless track felt cruel.

***

‘Seems like the friends like it too.’

Jin Hyuk smiled contentedly as he observed the kids’ reactions.

It wasn’t like he had hidden the bear cave on purpose.

Jin Hyuk had planned things as usual, and since he intended to rest during the hot midday, he hadn’t had time to visit the bear cave.

“Let’s start with stretching.”

If he says so, we have to do it.

“Ughhh—”

“Oww—”

“Did someone hit me…?”

It was the expected reaction.

Yeom Byeong-taek and Jo Seol-chan’s training had been focused on running, and Park Sang-ki hadn’t exercised in months.

That’s why he had deliberately overworked their entire bodies the day before.

It’s no exaggeration to say that every muscle is used in sprinting. Even the muscles you don’t use eventually get developed through track and field.

The physical training planned for quick adaptation and conditioning was ultimately designed to awaken all the muscles in their bodies.

“Remember the full-body twist we did yesterday?”

As he said that, Jin Hyuk lay down on the mat, spread his arms slightly, and placed his palms on the floor. Then he lifted his straight legs.

“Ughhh—”

“Oww, grandma—”

“Does Jeong-hwa know how hard her boyfriend is working…?”

“Hey, at least I’m not scolding you for saying stuff like that.”

Jin Hyuk laughed, offering what seemed like a reprimand but was actually comfort.

If Lee Byeong-se were here, he wouldn’t have said such things. Friends really are the best, huh?

‘This bastard wouldn’t make us do this, you psycho.’

Yeom Byeong-taek held back the urge to shout that and instead squeezed out a tear.

“Okay, one— two— three—.”

“One!”

Even while struggling, the kids chanted in unison.

Each had their own personality, but as athletes gathered under the name of training and the purpose of a camp, they were united.

After repeating the guerrilla exercise number 8 forty times, the kids’ faces turned red, and sweat poured down.

“Ugh—, I think I’m alive now. How about you, Yeom Byeong?”

“My body’s loosened up. Bring it on.”

“It’s thrilling. Let’s do more…”

Feeling their bodies truly loosened up, the kids started to brag.

As they say, you have to chew the meat to know its taste.

“Today, let’s run ten laps around the track, then swim a bit before breakfast.”

The kids’ eyes widened.

That’s all we’re running?

But that wasn’t the end.

“After lunch and dinner, let’s just loosen up. We’ll do some equipment exercises and run a bit on the track.”

It was a drastic change.

Yeom Byeong-taek, who knew Jin Hyuk wasn’t the type to take it easy, narrowed his eyes.

“Is there some other scheme… like a conspiracy or plot?”

“Nothing like that. This is what we’ll do on rainy days. Instead, we’ll study.”

He didn’t know how many rainy days there would be, but as a planner who hadn’t prepared for bad weather, it was a hastily proposed compromise.

“Well, we were going to do supplementary classes anyway—”

“Too bad. Running in the rain is fun too.”

“Can’t be helped…”

Hmph.

The kids did their best to manage their expressions.

***

Jo Seol-chan and Yeom Byeong-taek kept shaking their heads to stay awake.

They didn’t want to disappoint their friend who had planned this training camp and even arranged supplementary classes for them. But studying wasn’t something you suddenly got good at, or your brain just woke up to—that only happens in movies.

‘I want to sleep.’

The two friends were thinking the same thing.

The others probably felt the same, but in group living, especially during physical training, the most anticipated times are meal times and bedtime.

Eating your fill without worrying about others, washing up, and then lying under the AC with the blanket pulled up to your chin. After enduring the summer with just a fan, having a comfortable sleeping space made it feel like heaven.

“I ate so much, but I’m still hungry—”

“I’m sleepy.”

Though usually quiet, Park Sang-ki, who always chimed in with a word or two, didn’t respond to Jo Seol-chan and Yeom Byeong-taek’s conversation during self-study.

“Is he from the city or something? He sleeps with his eyes open—”

“Scary. He’s like Shin Yang’s sister.”

Classes in the morning, classes after lunch.

Since they didn’t do morning training, the sweet morning nap was gone, and self-study time was given instead.

“Yeom Byeong, what does this mean? Why do I have to calculate the volume of a cylinder?”

“Must be dangerous. Save me, please.”

Yeom Byeong-taek, propping his face with one hand, was unusually kind to Jo Seol-chan.

Both friends’ eyelids were more than halfway closed.

“Why is it dangerous? Is the cylinder going to do something dangerous?”

“Did the aliens abduct the fox? Why did this crazy fox cause a scene over grapes and end up in an English passage? Disgrace to the family.”

Hmph.

They tried to wake themselves up with nonsense, but they were helpless against the attack of drowsiness.

Whoever said the heaviest thing in the world is your eyelids was absolutely right.

By the end of self-study, only Park Sang-ki was still awake.

Not that he was actually awake.

***

Though he told them to study, Jin Hyuk left to give his friends space to relax and hang out comfortably.

It was also because he wanted to play with the baby.

Watching Yoo Jin and Jeong Won play, or holding the baby and rocking them, was a priceless break for Jin Hyuk.

“Ah, my baby is so cute—. How can a boy be this pretty? But Jeong Won, why aren’t you taking naps these days?”

“Baby—”

What are you saying…?

Instead of human words, clear bubbles came out of the baby’s mouth.

His mom had told him that babies blow bubbles when the wind blows outside. So, Jeong Won must be reacting to the strong wind after the rain stopped.

“Oppa, aren’t you studying?”

“Baby—”

Yoo Jin, who was lying on the living room floor drawing something in her sketchbook, tilted her head, and Jeong Won also flailed his arms as if scolding his brother. He kept moving his lips.

Did it seem strange to Yoo Jin that her brother was relaxing while all his friends were studying?

“Oppa is studying too.”

“No, you’re not. You’re playing with the baby.”

“Baby—”

Jin Hyuk just smiled without saying a word.

Sigh, even if I explained my grand dreams to a kid, would they understand?

‘Oppa is practicing taking care of a baby.’

I want to have a cute baby like my siblings.

Even indulging in pink fantasies and feeling my heart race is a joy that never leaves my relaxation time.

Hehehe—.

“Oppa laughed like Jang Gun-i.”

Even though his sister compared him to a dog, Jin Hyuk didn’t hear it.

Hehehe—. It’s just so funny, I had to laugh.

To have a baby, you first have to… you know.

Jin Hyuk is a smart dog, so he knows that too.

Kids, go away.